I'm sorry, but I love you
by kyouluva
Summary: The Vampire Diaries with all the twists I wanted in the show, but didn't play out.. or hasn't at least.
1. Chapter 1

**_Chapter One_**

_**Reviews would be great, and if people actually take a liking, it will speed up the process I get the new chapters posted.** _J

Elena felt suddenly trapped, but somehow not scared by Damon's looming figure hovering ever closer to her. "Why are you looking at me like that Damon?" Her focus went not to his chest where his cold heart hammered, but to his eyes which she immediately noticed were glazed and hazy as if there had recently been tears there, or would be very soon. He wondered what her thoughts were as he took another step closer, so she was wedged between him and the wall. Her eyes grew wider and her expression became wild with fear. He felt bad for the discomfort he was giving her by not handing her vervain necklace back to her. "Dam-" He cut her off before she could utter another sound.

"This won't.. and can't change anything.. But I need to say it once and you need to hear it, even if you won't remember five minutes from now.." Elena opened her mouth to protest but with a quick shake of his head, Damon convinced her it was best to keep quiet. "I'm broken, and I don't want anyone but you to see because I love you, Elena." He bowed his head ever so slightly with his hand balled into a fist against the wall so his and Elena's bodies were nearly touching. "I just wanted even a tiny part of you to know who I really am," He sighed and looked up at her, "but that's why you have to forget. Because if all of you knew, my baby brother would have to feel the loss I have to live with for all eternity." A single tear trickled down his face as he comfortingly caressed Elena's cheek. Before anymore tears were spilled, Damon disappeared with Elena oblivious to the fact that he had even moved.

Damon watched Elena from the Pine tree only feet from her bedroom window. Elena's face appeared perplexed, like she had forgotten what she was doing. She sat down on her fluffy white comforter, while she absentmindedly traced the veins in her hand. If only he could read her thoughts like that ridiculous Edward character; Oh how he missed Anne Rice. He watched as Elena tucked herself into bed and after a half an hour of restless turning, she fell into slumber. That night, Damon dreamed not one dream, he slept for not one minute. After leaving his perch outside Elena's window he was more distraught than ever and there was hell to pay; even the Originals would have had a run for their money.


	2. Chapter 2

Elena awoke to her phone vibrating with an incoming text message. She read it with half opened, blurry eyes. 'We have a problem. New vamps in town? Orr..' This instantly woke Elena up. Or what? If there was any chance she or someone she cared about was in danger of being hunted by a vampire, she needed to eliminate them! The possibilities were endless and this jolted her immediately out of bed. She hurried to find an outfit that didn't scream 'Vampire Girlfriend going to stake some ancient bastards' but one that she could easily maneuver in, especially if she had to run.. not that running would do her much good against the undead who were fifty, if not more, times faster than her. While she was starting her black SUV, her body finally realized how tired it was. It was Monday morning and she was up earlier than she normally was for school. She slumped against the steering wheel. _Ughh.. couldn't you vampires wait?_

Elena picked her head up lazily and as she was putting the vehicle into drive she caught a blurry movement in the corner of her view. With her mind being so sluggishly tired, she didn't dwell on it; until it, or rather she was standing right in front of her, no longer a mere blur of an image. Her voice caught in her throat and a sort of whine came out. She fumbled for the cell phone in her lap. Maybe it wasn't the smartest thing, but Elena snapped a picture with her phone and sent it to Stefan without a second thought. The women, the exact replica of Elena appeared directly by her car window. Elena gasped and made a move to floor it, but apparently this women had other plans for her. She kept the SUV at bay by simply keeping a hand on it. Elena had never been so scared in all her life. All she could think was that this must be who Stefan was warning her about in his cryptic text earlier. Like Damon would have said, she was looking at a solid maybe. Elena stared at the impossibly strong version of herself.

"Humph." The women's laugh was like tinkling bells, only cockier. "You're fun." She gave Elena a devious smile. "I'm going to enjoy this." _Buzz._ Elena jumped at her phone clicked the OK button while trying not to be obvious. 'That's Katherine! Stay put. I'm coming.' Elena tried not to gulp. The women, Katherine, who had been at her car window a split second ago, was already gone and this left Elena feeling lost and frightened beyond compare. Within seconds, her stomach was clenching and unclenching and her knuckles were white with the force she was holding her steering wheel.

Stefan came to her aid in 3 minutes flat. He had to have run the entire way because when he wrapped his arms around her, Elena could feel his ragged breathing from over exertion. Even vampires have their limits and feeding off of furry bunnies and pesky squirrels didn't fulfill a vampire's health desires. Stefan was stronger than any human being, but as a vampire he could be much, much stronger and they both knew it.

"It's ok Elena," He whispered soothingly. "It's all going to be alright now." He assured her. It sounded to her like he was trying to assure himself as much as he was trying to reassure her. After finally letting go, he gently lifted Elena out of the drivers seat and placed her in the passengers side. Without another word they began their drive to school where no one would talk of vampires or any danger greater than chipping a nail or making a tackle on the football field. Using her peripheral vision, Elena noticed the look on Stefan's face. It was a mix of anger and sadness. She took note that it didn't suit him. She reached over and gripped his hand, squeezing it ever so gently. They shared a smile before the ride was over and they were at school.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys, until I get some reviews I wont be posting another chapter so please send me some feedback on how i'm doing!**

The end of the day came slowly and painfully. When you're excited for something, or dreading something, time seems to drag on but when we're having fun life has the effect of flying by in a flash. "Elena!" Stefan jogged out of his honors literature class to where she stood poised at her locker. He had no idea how she did it; managing to be so graceful and seem so delicate and breakable, but yet be dating a vampire and be so strong.

"Hey Stefan." She smiled at him like she didn't have a care in the world. Her smile dazzled him and he kissed her sweetly.

"Look, that women Katherine from this morning.. there's a long story behind her that we don't really have time for, but in short, she was released from a tomb.. and my guess is that it happened most likely last night." Elena barely had time to blink before Stefan was finished speaking. Her head was reeling. After a minute of silence between the two, Elena looked directly into Stefan's eyes and said something neither of them expected.

"I know who opened the tomb and let her out." She paused. "For what reason, I don't know." That part Stefan could tell was puzzling her. He skipped the part about asking how she knew and went straight to the source.

"Who?" He took her shoulders in his hands and waited for an answer. "Who did it Elena? I need to know." The name wouldn't form on her lips. She shook her head and Stefan became desperate. "Elena, please." He begged her for the information he lacked.

"It was Damon.." Stefan released her shoulders and moved his face back an inch in shock denial.

"But, why-" He couldn't get the rest of the sentence out without first becoming furious. "If he did this.." Stefan's eyes burned with that fury only vampires would ever hold. His muscles visibly tensed under his form fitting navy blue t-shirt. He made a move to leave when Elena grasped his forearm.

"I can't believe I'm going to say this Stefan, but don't hurt him." Her amber-brown eyes pleaded with him so much his shoulders relaxed and he let out the breath he must have been holding for some time.

"Despite his past actions, I believe he can redeem himself. You don't know the pain he's drowning in." Stefan's expression mirrored the confusion Elena felt inside. "I'm sorry." Elena shook her head, making her straight brown hair sway from side to side. She took one last look at Stefan, shut her locker without removing any books, and walked quickly out the doors to the school. Stefan remained where he stood, utterly alone in the hallway and completely mentally disoriented.


	4. Chapter 4

Damon lay crumpled into a heap on the recliner chair when Stefan came home shortly after school. Stefan wasn't expecting to actually see Damon home, and when he did he had every intent of taking his anger out on him but walking closer his heart gave in to what Elena wanted. He huffed angrily and stalked back out the front door to go hunting. Damon didn't stir at all, instead lying there as if he were truly the corpse he should be if he lived in a no-fantasy world.

While Damon remained dead to the world, Elena was catching up with some of her close friends, Bonnie and Caroline. It seemed both girls seemed to be hiding something, but Elena had no right to be angry; she had a big enough secret of her own. Elena sat opposite them in the grubby booth at The Grill.

Bonnie started, "Elena, I have something to tell you.. But promise you wont freak out until after I finish, ok?" She looked genuinely worried she may hurt Elena's feelings or something of the sort. Elena was a tad bit worried, but by watching her face neither Bonnie nor Caroline could tell. Elena nodded for Bonnie to go on. "I have a crush.." The boy topic didn't really surprise Elena, it was a subject they touched upon daily if it were there schedule from only 3 and a half months ago. "well…" Bonnie needed coaxing to finish so Elena slowly nodded her head. "I like Jeremy!" Bonnie finally blurted out. After the initial surprise of finding out one of her best friends was secretly crushing on her brother, Elena burst out into hysterical laughter.

"Is that all?" Elena wiped away tears of laughter.

"It's been obvious for weeks that you two are totally digging each other." Caroline stated flatly while she ran a hand through her bouncy blonde curls. Bonnie turned her head sideways, first gaping at Caroline for making such a straight forward, emotionless comment, and then towards Elena who hadn't said anything to deny that she knew as well. Elena shrugged innocently.

"It's not so bad Bonnie," She giggled a little despite herself. "I mean, I was scared for a minute that you had the hots for my boyfriend." This made her laugh a little harder. Elena's laugh soon ended when she took notice that this made Caroline stop examining her nails and snap her eyes to the crumbs on the table. It was evident that whatever Caroline was hiding appeared to be about Stefan. That could only mean one of two things.. Either Vampire-Caroline wanted Stefan as well, or something was wrong with Stefan that she didn't know about. Elena's eyes fell on Bonnie who evidently had as little knowledge as she did. Elena wished that Bonnie could telepathically send her a sign of sorts, letting her in on anything she might know, but she guessed being a witch didn't give Bonnie telepathy powers she could share with a normal person. Elena sighed, her thoughts halting on the simple fact that her boyfriend was a vampire, along with his brother and one of her best friends, and the other best friend was a witch. Out of the group, she was the only 'normal' one. Her guess was that her version of normalcy and other people's greatly varied. She focused her attention back on Caroline. "What's going on Caroline?" Caroline swallowed loudly.

The start of her explanation didn't start out great, "Well.. Elena, you see…" Her voice trailed off momentarily. Elena vigorously nodded as the tension grew at the table. "You're my best friend so it's my duty and all to tell you before you find out any other way.." Elena's heart was jumping into her throat. Not starting from where she left off, Caroline continued, "I'm sorry Elena.."


	5. Chapter 5

Elena rushed away from The Grill in her black SUV, driving much faster than her average cruising speed. She didn't know where she was going but the only thing she could think of doing was driving; driving away from the people in Mystic Falls who betrayed her, from Katherine who could pass for her identical twin. Out of the darkness darted a deer, with Elena slamming nose first into it at 70 mph. There had been no time to swerve or coast to a stop, and when she hit the deer it sent her SUV airborne. When it hit the ground again it skidded along the pavement until it found dirt and flipped the entire vehicle off the highway. Deafeningly, Elena could hear the crunching and scratching of metal while it slid across the ground and crushed in around her. The sounds of the warped metal and the swirling darkness of the black night turning over and over again filled her senses as she lost consciousness.

Half waking up, Elena heard what sounded to be like metal being torn apart. Her lungs seemed to be filled with dust, but when she tried to cough she felt a searing pain run through every inch of her. Her eyes refused to open so whatever was making the strange noise would simply have to wait until she could see again; but instead of the noise fading out, it grew closer and Elena's body tensed automatically. She immediately regretted the automatic response, as it brought on even more pain. She barely managed a small moan, the sound escaping her lips from the pain which emanated from her body.

"Elena?" She heard her name but everything was growing muffled and she began feeling a dull ache spreading throughout her entire body. The aching soon turned to a cold numbness that she was glad to have consume her. A darkness enveloped her where she felt nothing, thought nothing.

Damon yanked the steering wheel out of his way and tore the seat belt from its buckle to get to Elena's silence. His heart beat faster than he ever felt it before, although he couldn't be entirely sure how vampire anatomy worked. He lifted her out of the massive wreck, cautious not to hit her head on anything. Very carefully he shook glass shards out of her flowing hair with one hand while the other remained under her, her legs dangling and her arms hanging limp.

Elena stirred and when she was finally able to squint she was looking into the dark, beautiful eyes of Damon Salvatore. "Damon.." Damon shook his head slightly.

"Hush Elena. Go to sleep." His compulsion didn't work on her though, she still wore the vervain necklace around her neck.

"Caroline and Stefan.. They're meant to be. I don't blame her, he was there to help, I know he was." She gasped for breath she didn't contain. She sputtered and her whole body violently went into a shudder. Damon was crazed with fear. He had no idea what he could do, so he did the only thing he remembered. He ran; but this time it wasn't from anything, he was running _for _something, a someone. He brought her the only place he knew was safe; the Salvatore house. He wasn't sure whether or not to be relieved that Stefan wasn't there. He didn't want to see his brother's face, the one that disgusted him even in his thoughts; the whole reason Elena was nearly torn to shreds by a collision.

"Damn you Stefan." He cursed his brother's name as he reluctantly stripped Elena down to her under garments, caring to every wound with Neosporin and ace bandage. When Elena still didn't completely wake up, he did the last thing he planned on, but the only thing that would work. He fed her his own blood.


	6. Chapter 6

Elena's head was pounding as she jerked awake, sweat dripping from stray hairs clinging to her face. There was an odd metallic taste in her mouth and there was a brand new texture to her lips that she didn't recognize. She swiped her tongue over them and found it tasted metallic as well, but there was a slight sweetness to it.

Damon lifted his head off the hand that propped him up. "Hey, you're awake." He smirked at her scantily. Elena shivered and Damon got a kick out of her facial features when she figured out she was naked except for a matching lacey blue set.

"Do you think this is funny?" Elena cringed slightly as she struggled to sit up. Damon was by her side in an instant, her plain gray t-shirt hanging from his fingertips.

She took it and tediously pulled it on while he replied to her rhetorical question. "Yes, Elena, I find hilarity in the lengths I need to go to save your life." Elena rolled her eyes and all joking set aside, Damon was exuberantly happy Elena's safety was restored at his hands, or any hands at all as long as she was alive. Damon didn't know when he started caring, but he sort of liked the feeling. It was beginning to really grow on him.. It was like she was his drug of choice, no matter how badly he wanted to cut the addiction he knew it would be impossible.

"Damon," Elena paused, catching Damon's eye and simultaneously his attention . "there's something you should know." She paused dramatically and a booming silence filled the air around them. Damon had no idea where she was going with this, but he was clinging to her every word. Before she could say anything more, Damon put his fingers to his lips and he stood protectively in front of where Elena sat on the edge of his bed. Right before her eyes, without the actual visual of it, Damon was tossed off his feet and slammed into the mirror nailed to his wall above his headboard. Glass rained down all around him as his body hit the bed only centimeters away from Elena's hand. Miraculously, he was back on his feet in under a second. Elena was terror stricken by the sudden turn of events.

That's when a voice Elena recognized to be Katherine's, whispered in her ear, "Stand up you silly little girl." Elena hadn't even felt the shift in weight next to her. With wobbly legs, she obeyed the hazardous women. Before Katherine could command Elena to do anything else, Damon had Katherine pinned down to his bed. Straddling her he brought his face a mere inch away from hers.

"I'm done with you Katherine." Damon growled.

"Ooh, sexy." Katherine toyed with him, dragging her fingernail along his jaw line sensuously.

Elena then watched as Damon's lips came crashing down on Katherine's. This time he growled in pleasure as she gripped his back, tearing holes in his shirt. Elena stood motionless, feeling trapped and betrayed for the second time in one night. Since she blanked out, she didn't notice right away when Katherine was no longer caught underneath Damon's heated body. Katherine stood a foot away from Elena, staring at her hotly.

"Damon, come here my play-thing." She spoke sexily. When Damon didn't respond instantly, she barked at him, "Damon! Come. Now." Her expression was gradually growing more and more irritated. Damon moved to the spot next to her, appearing to be _her _protector. _Ha, how ironic that was._ She must have been 5 years younger than him in human years, but it was clear she was turned a century or so before him.

"Feed from her. Take her life." Katherine's orders were made and she turned away, bored. Damon's head was spinning. Here was Katherine, the women he had set free from a tomb she had been wasting away in for close to 150 years, and here was Elena.. The girl he had professed his love to only a night ago. His mind went off track at that point. _What had Elena been about to say before Katherine interrupted?_ He thought maybe they were heading into a heart-to-heart, and it was killing him to admit he wouldn't have minded. She could see right into him, Elena trusted him for whatever reason. He hated Katherine for making Elena second guess his trust, but that hate for Katherine was built off of two centuries being madly in love with her, and having her in bed was like an experience no other man would ever have; they became two beasts.. literally. _This is **not **the time to be getting hor- _His thought process was cut short by Katherine's annoyingly casual tone of voice. He inwardly sighed as she smoothly layed out her next line.

"Damon, I'm growing impatient and you _know _I don't like to be kept waiting." Katherine hadn't grown furious yet, only distrustful. "You know she is no match for me, even with your blood inside her." She smiled knowingly. She seemed not to move, but in an instant she was upon Elena, gripping her left arm and twisting excruciatingly slowly.

"Gah! Make it stop!" Elena exclaimed while Katherine's beautiful, age frozen, unflawed face contorted into a hideously frightening creature.

"Screw you Katherine." Damon spat and in the blink of an eye he had a broken piece of chair driven deep into Katherine's heart, or where he used to think her heart was.


	7. Chapter 7

Elena stood away from the fire that burned Katherine's remains. Damon had hauled the body into the fireplace, insisting that if he didn't do it himself he would never truly get over it. Damon didn't want to feel right then, but Elena made it more than difficult to do anything he wanted. She had made him promise not to kill her friends, even when he had no intention of keeping that promise, although now he'd be damned if he hurt her in a way that would tear her apart to the point of no return. His eyes flickered over Elena as her eyes were wandering around the room, darting between the front door, and any noise she heard, anything she glimpsed. He knew she would not sleep well tonight, or for many nights to come. That's why he decided all on his own, he would take shelter over her until she felt secure again. He didn't care how long that took, he would make up for all the things he lacked by being anything she needed him to be, even if that meant begging on his hands and knees for her not to do anything stupid or reckless. In that moment he wished to hold her in his arms, brush her hair back from her face. She had such a child-like blank stare on her face that he willed her with his mind to make some recognition of his being there. Seemingly against her will, she did. They made eye contact briefly, then she broke it when Stefan came waltzing through the door.

It was easy to see that Stefan was taking in the scene of Damon poking at the smoldering hot flames in the fireplace, and the busted up Elena staring fixedly at him. Damon held his tongue at the moment for Elena's sake. This was still her boyfriend, and his brother. He was convinced she wouldn't take kindly to yelling.

"Elena," Stefan closed the distance between the two in a few long strides. "We have to talk." Stefan held Elena flexibly at the elbows, so she was free to move but also showing her his desperation.

"I have nothing to say to you Stefan." With one forceful jerk she was physically rid of him. Stefan's mouth remained the same but his eyes betrayed the hurt Elena had inflicted. She gingerly touched a hand to his solid chest. "Look, Stefan, I don't blame anyone for what happened. You and Caroline.. _bonded.._ I get it. It's totally understandable that you two would have chemistry. Whether she'd like to admit it or not, Caroline isn't as shallow as she'd like people to believe, and you're a good guy." Elena felt it would be appropriate to smile now, so she did just that. She gave him her best doe-eyed, toothy grin. She couldn't be sure it was working, but she could sure hope so.

"But Elena, you have to understand that nothing happened. Sure, there are possible feelings involved but no one acted upon them." Damon raised an eyebrow from where he was standing, not caring if they knew he was listening or not.

"Hey lover boy, you _may _want to rethink what you just said." Damon shot over his shoulder as he went to the cabinet, returning with a scotch on the rocks. He took 3 or 4 sips and it was gone. He made a point of staring at Stefan expectantly, just to get on his nerves. Stefan glared at him. He took Elena's hand and led her to the couch where he pulled her down next to him.

"Caroline and I, we exchanged nothing more than words and an embrace or two here and there." Stefan searched Elena's eyes for something that wasn't there, at least not visible to him or open even to herself.

"Damon, I want to go home." Damon was surprised but didn't protest. He got his keys and after letting the car heat up, they were on their short trip to her house where Aunt Jenna would be worried sick. She had to look out the window to keep herself from crying, but even then a few tears trickled down her face. She quickly wiped them away, pretending to be fixing makeup that probably wasn't even there anymore. When finally after what seemed like forever, they were parked out front of her tan house, looking in at the candles burning at every visible window. Elena didn't want to clear her throat which would make it obvious that she had been crying, so she dipped her head and grabbed the handle to open the door.

Before she got out, Damon needed to know what she was about to say earlier before Katherine decided to make Elena pay for having his love and care. "Elena, will you tell me what it was you were going to say?" He paused, "You know, before everything went haywire and I had to save your ass again." They both smirked, but his smile faded away when Elena shook her head back and forth, with a look on her face that told Damon she was deep in thought.

She got out of the car and before Damon could drive away, she went to his side of the car, opened his door and said, "I'll show you." She leaned in with one hand on his leg, and kissed him. It wasn't like the one she had seen pass between him and Katherine. This one had meaning, his and Katherine's seemed to be purely sexually oriented. To Damon, this kiss of hers was both. He felt things in this one kiss that he had never felt before. It was an electrifying feeling, like he was finally free of himself, from the monster he was. "I remember." He was confused but he could tell she had more to say. "That necklace is mainly for show. I consume vervain in my meals, so it was in my system when you thought you were compelling me." With that she took her hand off his leg and ducked back out of the car. Before she got to close the door though, Damon had her in his lap and he was kissing her passionately. He didn't care anymore about who saw, or what they saw, he just liked the feeling of being so close to her, the warmth she spread through him inside and out. She giggled and he laughed as they both got their breath back. She laid a steady hand on his shoulder and the other cradled his perfectly chiseled face. "Goodnight Damon." She kissed him one last time, this one short and soft. They stared at each other in wonder for a couple seconds before she got out and shut the car door.

"Night Elena." Elena turned to make her way up the walkway, and as soon as she did she was met with Damon yet again. He had his hands on her hips and without thinking her arms went to his midsection. , "No more forgetting, or not forgetting…no more games Elena.." Her mouth was pulling into a smile at the words she knew were coming but yet couldn't believe. He pulled her in closer to him and whispered the words that made her heart complete again, "I love you."

**Until I get some reviews letting me know what all you people want, this will most likely be the end. So you know what to do! :P**


	8. Chapter 8

**IF YOU WANT, YOU CAN STOP READING AT CHAPTER 7 AS IT MAKES A GOOD ENDING, BUT IF YOU WANT TO CONTINUE WITH THE MADNESS, GET READING! ;D Dont forget to review, thanks. :)**

Damon swiftly carried Elena to her bedroom, past the doors of her sleeping aunt and brother. "I want to be with you here, like this, forever." Damon kissed Elena's eyelids as he set her down onto her bed that creaked beneath them. "I'll love you more every second, I swear." And he did swear it, not only to Elena but to himself. He silently thanked whatever or whoever it was that was giving him this chance to be a better man. He nuzzled his head into her neck while she kept her arms slung over his shoulders where she played with the back of his hair. "I know I've been less than acceptable, but believe me when I say I'll be here for you every single day to come." They stared intently into each other's eyes.

"You're not evil, Damon." She kissed the tip of his nose. "And I'll be calling for you into the night when you're not here, so stay here with me." That settled it, he was never letting her go. He would go through impossible measures to see she stayed happy and safe from the harm that seemed to threaten her at every corner. They began searching each other for any injuries, nursing them with caring hands.

While Damon and Elena were loving just being together in the night, Stefan was going berserk. He poured himself a drink, and feeling he had lost everything he worked for, roared in anger. He whipped the glass at the wall above the fireplace, sending sharp shards flying every which way. _Damon is getting in the way, and I'm going to be Elena's future, not him. _He could just imagine Damon's impulsive hands running over Elena where his own should be. _That's not his place. _Stefan had never gone ballistic before, but now he was seeing what it felt like to burn on the inside from more than the usual thirst. Damon's words flashed into his mind. "_It's always for the love of a women, isn't it?" _He had been talking to Elena at the time, but it felt like it were directed at himself. Damon and Stefan had been in love with the same women, Katherine, for years. Stefan swore then that he would go on to the end, but Damon would not. The only way he could keep Elena out of the devil's cold hands, would be to end the life Damon clutched at from the grave. He sighed and sat down. The cold press of the leather arm rests comforted him.

"I haven't lost my way. I haven't lost my way." He let his eyes close as he told himself this. _Life was hard enough before death, now all he could seem to do was mess up. _

His eyelids shot up and his dark gray eyes narrowed, "I won't let him make me fall." Those were the last words he spoke before he fled from the house, promising himself that he was not going to give up and let Damon have his way.

"I love you, Elena, and if this is my final fight so be it. I'll win." His body fluidly moved through the night to the last image he would ever want to see, but one he hadn't anticipated would come so soon. Standing on a branch from the very same Pine tree Damon had watched Elena from, Stefan was creeping on Damon and Elena, viewing that very image he didn't want to see. His face changed into that of the vampire, his jealousy skyrocketing. The urge to tear Damon off of Elena was greater than he had ever felt.

Normally Damon would have noticed, but he was too caught up in Elena, their limbs tangled together; but when Stefan let out a painful howl, Damon and Elena both jerked up and over to the window that was cracked just a pinch. Damon speedily went to the window, but by then Stefan was long gone and on his way to find the one person he was counting on to distract Damon's attention.


	9. Chapter 9

All Stefan had to do was go home to find what, or rather _who _he was looking for. Katherine was standing in the middle of the living room floor, brushing charcoal off her arm and removing twigs that hadn't yet burned from her hair. Seeing Stefan standing there looking at her, deeply pleased her. Here was the real reason she had returned to Mystic Falls rather than flee to her home from a century ago in Georgia.

"Aghh, Katerina Petrova has returned." Stefan spoke dryly with a hint of sarcasm ebbing in.

"Hmm.. You always did prefer that to Katherine Pierce, didn't you Stefan?" She smiled sneakily at him. "But yes, after your ridiculously needy and selfish brother tried burning _an Original_, I returned yet again from the dead." She moved to him, dragging her hand longingly against every bare skin that showed. Stefan's muscles twitched, the nerves sparking as she hit ticklish spots.

"I'm not here for me, Katherine." Stefan switched back to using the name everyone else had come to call her after she was turned, not being the same person she once was. His statement wasn't a _complete _lie. His intentions _were _for his and Elena's benefit, but it would be Damon Katherine would be dealing with.

"Oh but I'm here for _you._" Katherine smirked at the curiosity evident in Stefan's angered face.

"What are you talking about?" The irritation was seeping into every word Stefan spoke. Katherine hurriedly put clothing on; where she got it Stefan didn't have a clue.

"You know what I'm talking about, Stefan." She twirled around the room with her arms raised about her head, her low cut, flowing dress billowing out around her. She smiled down, apparently enjoying the fabric and vibrant color. Stefan waited impatiently for Katherine to continue. She reluctantly did a few minutes later. Reaching out and holding his hand, she pulled him next to her on the beige couch. "It's always been you." She brought her face next to his, so part of her hair was falling into his lap. He shoved her away with vampire force and she hissed.

"We're dammed Katherine!" His eyes blazed with all the fury he contained. "Look at me, I live for the night! I'd fall apart under the sun's light if it weren't for this damn ring!" He removed the ring from his finger and chucked it across the room at her. Katherine's face then showed a sight never before seen; a heavy stream of tears were flowing down her tanned face.

"You can't- you can't do this to me." She choked. "I've waited 150 years to breath the same air as you."

Stefan exclaimed, "I don't even think we _breath _air, Katherine." He got off the couch shaking his head and turning away from her. "You make it sound like we're in some dramatic movie." He paused and looked at her for a second. "But we're not." Leaving his plan for the morning, Stefan stalked up the stairs to his room and locked the door so if Katherine jiggled the knob she would know he wanted to be left alone. He wasn't even sure the tears he had just witnessed were real. When it came to Katherine he doubted they were. The jiggling of the doorknob never came and for this he was grateful.


	10. Chapter 10

Stefan woke up the next morning with a hangover that pounded at his brain. Some blood would take care of that in no time. He swung his legs off the bed, bare feet touching the cold hardwood floor. This was the day he was going to get Elena back and set everything right. As he sat there, pictures flowed through his mind. They gave him the impression that they were memories, but there wasn't a clear recollection. The perfect explanation snapped into his mind, Katherine's tampering with his dreams, the past seeming to be repeating itself. In only sweat pants, he walked out of his bedroom and flew down the stairs. The house was dead silent, but he still expected Katherine to make an appearance shortly. Once you knew someone for over a century, they became very predictable. Just as he thought, Katherine was perched on the counter when Stefan came away from the fridge with a cup of orange juice in his hand.

"Morning darling." She cooed. Stefan ignored her, keeping her an arms length away from him. He didn't need any unnecessary touching. He was in too deep with the Caroline situation as it was. He didn't want to admit it to Elena but she was partially correct about there being something more going on between him and Caroline. When they hugged, sparks flew, and when she was upset he wanted to be there for her. He rubbed his temples.

Katherine's arms encircled him, her hands traveling up his rock hard abs. This sent shivers down his spine, and he wiggled out of her grip. He turned reluctantly to face her.

"Katherine, go play your game with Damon." He shook his head disbelievingly. "Just leave Elena out of it." At the mention of Elena, Katherine wanted to slaughter her.

"That little bitch is going to get what's coming to her." Her look was that of a girl with a plan.

Stefan was at her throat in an instant, "If you so much as touch her.." His voice trailed off menacingly.

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	11. Chapter 11

Damon came home from Elena's later that day. Stefan lurked in the shadows, mirroring Damon's every step. He unknowingly walked into the house of horrors. Stefan came up behind him, making himself obvious. Katherine stepped out behind a half closed door so she was in front of Damon.

"Would you look at that, it's a little reunion." Damon raised his eyebrows. "A reunion of the.. Undead.." He gave Katherine a slightly confused look, trying not to let on that things weren't looking good when he was trapped by his brother and his extremely powerful ex-girlfriend. Stefan had no real reason for being there, so it was hardly noticed when he slipped out the door, probably to go find Elena. Despite his situation, Damon remained calm. He wouldn't allow Katherine to get the best of him.

"So, how's Elena?" Katherine's game was imminent. Damon's fangs were bared in aggression. "Elena does not live for your amusement." His anger was building. "Quite the contrary actually." His lip curled into a snarl.

"You can't honestly believe she is going to chose you, Damon." This infuriated Damon further, it also scratched at the hole in his heart Elena was beginning to heal. "She's going to die." Katherine said matter-of-factly. "She must."

Damon's heart skipped a beat at the thought. "If something were to happen to Elena I wouldn't think twice about ripping your heart out and shoving it down your throat." He sneered. Katherine knew now that he wasn't bluffing. Even if he hadn't tried killing her the day before, she could tell he meant every word he said by the look in his eyes, and the way his mouth formed a tight line. She died a little more inside at knowing she was hopelessly losing the two men who meant the most to her. Not only was she losing them, but a human girl who looked exactly the same as herself was to blame. Their personalities only resembled each other at the common vertex of stubbornness.

"I haunt your dreams Damon. You'll never forget the days and nights we spent together." Katherine hoped desperately she was right.

"You're right Katherine," Katherine noted that Damon didn't loosen up. She didn't want him to crush her dream like Stefan had. She wanted things to go back to how they first were, before she had to compel Stefan not to be afraid of her, when Damon loved her unconditionally. "You do haunt my dreams. I can't seem to get rid of your damn nagging, and the unrealistic screams you used in bed." He was taunting her and she knew it, but how much of what he said was true she was unsure. Her voice shook when she replied.

"I love you Damon." This didn't melt his heart like it did when Elena said it. He was finally over his feelings for Katherine. This made him feel stronger than ever. He was able to breath again.

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	12. Chapter 12

At Elena's house, her and Stefan were cuddled up on her bed. Elena didn't know why she had let this happen. They had talked for a while and she was so tired already that she gave in to his what seemed to be a sincere apology. Somehow that had led to them lying under the blankets together, with her folded into his body like a puzzle, and his arm draped over her possessively. For the moment, she didn't think. She let herself drift off to sleep in Stefan's arms.

The next morning Elena felt awkward and Stefan was ecstatic. Neither knew what was going on in the other's head, but both wanted desperately to know. Stefan couldn't help but wishfully be thinking that Elena was back to the way she once felt about him and Elena just wanted Stefan to get out of her bed.

"Morning." He said with all the love in the world. Elena held her composure.

"Stefan, you can take a shower if you want but after that you _need _to go home." She shook her head exasperatedly. Stefan didn't seem to understand, or it was possible that he simply didn't want to.

"Last night was…" Stefan waited for Elena to finish his sentence, but instead a smitten Damon took over after he re-closed Elena's window which had over time become the boys' entrance.

"It was a mistake little brother, that's what it was." He walked over and wrapped a strong arm around Elena, squeezing her shoulder. With Damon next to her, she felt ten times better. She gave him a small smile, trying not to make Stefan feel any worse than he already did.

"What are you doing here Damon?" Stefan growled after the initial shock of seeing Damon there. He made a move to step forward but Elena began speaking.

"Look," She stepped out from under Damon's arm, "I'm not running away with either of you; I'm not about to get married to anybody, so you can both calm down."

"You mean you didn't show Damon the promise necklace I gave you?" Stefan looked as smug as you could get. Two could play at this game.

"Oh Stefan, a necklace? Really?" He turned back to Elena and with a flashy smile he slipped an expensive looking ring on her finger. He spoke softly to her, "I was planning on saving this for another night, but this will do." His smile was adorable and it made Elena weak at the knees. He wasn't asking her to marry him but he was saying they were looking at a future. Elena flung her arms around Damon.

"Damon, it's beautiful!" She blushed when she remembered Stefan standing only feet away. She stepped briefly away from Damon, but keeping her hand intertwined with his. "I'm sorry Stefan.. I know it sounds corny, but Damon is my reason for living now. After my parents dying, I want something I can hold onto and with Damon, I can stay forever."

Stefan looked about to protest when Damon literally swept Elena off her feet and into his capable arms. "See you later bro." He winked.


	13. Chapter 13

Damon couldn't be bothered to tell Elena where he was taking her. "You_ do _realize Jenna is going to wonder where I am right?" She _had _to ruin the moment. Damon rolled his eyes.

"When she sees dumbfounded Stefan in your room, it will be his problem not ours." This made Elena uneasy.

"Don't worry," Damon said, rolling his eyes again. "He will merely compel her and everything will be fine."

"What about Stefan?" Elena asked, a little worried that Stefan might try to hurt himself or something.

"He'll be fine, Elena. He'll just go back to the house and mope around like he used to." Damon's eyes were fixed on a faraway spot as he walked with Elena still in his arms. "The Stefan you know, the mellow good guy isn't who he's always been. You have to understand that my existence today is because of him." Elena wasn't grasping what he was saying. "He made me complete the transition." Damon's eyes were misting over with memories from the past long gone. "Stefan drained a butler in our home before he took his fill of a peasant child. Then he quite literally tossed her lifeless body into my lap." Elena stroked Damon's face as it tightened in painful remembrance. "It wasn't enough for him to live forever, he had to make me suffer as well." Damon shook his head, as if it would clear all of it away.

"Well you're alright now." Elena strained her neck to lift her head off Damon's chest where it rested. She laid a kiss on his neck where his ear and jaw met. Damon nodded halfheartedly. She didn't doubt his love for her even if other's did. He was struggling and she knew it would take time for him to open up all the way, if he was ever able to. She accepted this challenge. She found her thoughts going back to Stefan who might be compelling her aunt right now.

Damon felt Elena move her head higher up his chest and tighten her hold on his neck. He adjusted how he was holding her so now they were closer and she could be more comfortable. He breathed in the fresh scent of her hair.

About an hour later, they finally arrived at a dingy motel. Elena's expression showed that her thought's of the place were less than satisfactory.

"Sorry," He laughed. "Short on cash at the moment and Katherine's no doubt lounging on my bed.. Or walking around the house in slim to nothing." Not only did Elena not know Katherine was alive, she wasn't happy to hear she was in the Salvatore house, doing as she pleased. At least Damon was here with her, and not there.

"Katherine?" Whoops, Damon had forgotten about the part that Elena didn't know Katherine came back to life and wanted nothing more than to kill her.


	14. Chapter 14

After Damon and Elena took off, Stefan had to compel Elena's aunt Jenna that nothing out of the ordinary had happened and that Elena was safe and with her friends. When he was alone again in Elena's room, he sat down on her bed with his head cradled in his hands. Gradually his eyes were brimming with tears that leaked into his hands. This time he wouldn't lose control, though. All he wanted was to be Elena's fantasy, to be the star she called upon when she was in need of a wish. He could be with her forever and it still wouldn't be enough. He sighed and rubbed the tears away. He fell back on Elena's bed, staring up at the blank ceiling. He willed himself to fall asleep, to forget the morning's events.

While Stefan slept, Damon and Elena were huddled together. Damon watched Elena's every expression as if it were crucial. Elena's heart was aflutter. She blushed when she looked up and noticed Damon watching her intently. He had already filled her in on Katherine, and she was taking it rather well.

Now, all Elena wanted to do was nap and let all emotion's fall away. "Damon, I'm gonna take a nap." Damon nodded and kissed her forehead.

"Sweet dreams." After Elena was tucked under the ugly maroon blanket, Damon looked at her longingly, like she wasn't really his for the taking. It was all so wonderful, he was having a hard time breathing, but now was not the time to be feeling insecure. He gently kissed her eyelids, getting a small jump from her, but not interrupting her descent into slumber.

While Elena slept, Damon jotted on a complementary motel notepad.

_These past few months have been hectic. There have been more days where I wanted to cry these recent couple of weeks than I have all the time I've been living as a vampire. It's pathetic, really. I don't know what it is, but Elena makes me __**feel.**__ She makes me __**care.**__ I hated it at first, but I think I'm opening up to it. _

He sighed. Rarely did he ever write and when he did he wasn't quite sure what made him do it or what he should say.

_I don't feel good enough for her.. It's like she was meant to be with an angel but I'm the opposite. It's so difficult at the end of the day, feeling all my memories building up, cursing me. I want Elena to feel weightless with me, hopeful. She needs a life with less stress and more time to be herself, more time to be with me. I feel so selfish sometimes when I look at her. I even feel guilt when she mentions Stefan, but most of all…. I feel love. For Elena and Stefan both. _

He put the pen down and stared at the sheet of paper with his slanted handwriting all over it. He wanted to crumple it up and throw it out, but instead he slipped it into his jean's pocket. He kicked off his shoes and quietly climbed into the bed next to Elena. With greedy hands, he clutched her to himself. He pressed a soft kiss against her shoulder and fell asleep holding her to him.


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey there guys, thank you for sticking with me :)! Hope you enjoy what's to come.**

Upon awakening, Elena found the bed next to her empty and the room to be utterly still accept for a light breeze blowing in through the bottom of the smudged window. She shivered and pulled the blankets up to her chin. _Where was Damon?_ She caught a sugary smell wafting to her on the breeze. Whatever it was it smelt delicious. Wrapping the sheet around herself to keep out the chill, Elena rolled out of the bed and strolled over to where the smell was strongest. She found a box of glazed donuts from Krispy Crème sitting on the small countertop in between the bed and bathroom. She smiled to herself. _Damon must have got these before I woke up._

"Agh!" She shrieked when Damon walked in. She clasped a hand to her heart. "I'm glad it's just you." They both rolled their eyes at the same time. Damon grinned at her.

"You're finally up sleepy head." He teased her as he kicked off his shoes and flopped down onto the bed. Elena lay down next to him, rolling onto her stomach.

"Where'd you run off to?" She playfully ran a hand through his thick, unruly hair. She longed to have the fullness and color of his hair.

Without giving an answer, Damon shook his head. Elena took that to mean it wasn't important. She dropped the subject, since arguing with him didn't seem to get her anywhere. "Look missy," Damon eyed Elena suggestively, "I'm taking you home." Elena took the look in Damon's eyes as an invitation. She laid a kiss first on his cheek, then the corner of his mouth and before she could kiss him again he was pinning her down to the bed by her wrists. Elena was taken by surprise. The scared look in her eyes soon vanished, replaced by ecstasy.

"Damon.." Elena spoke his name with a beaming smile spread widely across her small face.

"Naughty, naughty." Damon got off of her and extended his hand to help her up. A devious smirk played across his lips. To say the least, Elena was disappointed. She had thought maybe they were going _somewhere_, finally. Damon noticed the change in Elena's mood and wondered if he had really brought her down that quickly. He hadn't wanted to take advantage of her and he didn't want her to regret anything having to do with him. For now, it was best just to wait. He ignored the kicked-puppy look on Elena's face and cleared his throat to fill the awkward silence.

"So, have you talked to Stefan?" Elena's hesitant question was not one Damon wanted to hear asked.

"No." He grumbled. "The last time I talked to him was the last time you saw him." Damon headed for the balcony door, which Elena took to be a strong point of ending the conversation.

"Ok.." She stood in the middle of the floor by herself for a minute before walking around the room gathering any belongings she had. When everything was in order and she was still alone, she decided she better get Damon's stuff all into one pile. There wasn't that much to do, but she was bored sitting around.

As she was moving Damon's jacket, a piece of paper fell out of one of the pocket's. She reached down to pick it up and put it back in his pocket, but when she glimpsed what she thought to be her name, she couldn't help but take a peak. When Damon had gone out before Elena was awake, he had switched the note from his jeans to his jacket pocket, with the intent of Elena or anyone else never finding it.

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	16. Chapter 16

Elena didn't want Damon to walk in on her invading his privacy, so she quickly read through the note, gaping at what was written. She couldn't believe how much he cared. Before she was able to fold it back up and put it in the jacket pocket, Damon was standing in front of her, astonished by what he saw.

"You and Katherine have a lot more in common than just your looks." Damon shook his head, snatched up his stuff and headed for the door. "You can find your own way home." His hand was already on the door knob. "Try not to get killed."

"Wait, what about the note?" Elena shouted at his back.

Before he left he gave her a simple, two-word answer, "Burn it." Then he was gone. Elena couldn't believe what had just happened. First she had found the note stating that he truly loved her; then he had witnessed her reading something private of his, and lastly he had left her on her own.

While Elena moped around the empty motel room with Damon's note clutched in her hand, Damon sat in his car a mile away. He thumped his head against his steering wheel. He needed a distraction from everything that was going on. He picked his head up and pulled back onto the road, not sure exactly where he was going, but with an idea in his head. _He was going to break the curse._

"Thanks Bonnie, I know this was out of your way." Elena tossed her stuff into the back. Bonnie didn't look happy what so ever. Before they pulled away from the motel Bonnie looked over at Elena with a look of annoyance.

"You know, I _hate _vampires. Witches are _born _hating them, and you've made me chose _them_ over _everything._" Bonnie's jaw clenched and unclenched. Her eyes bore into Elena. Elena didn't know what to say.

"Bonnie, I don't know what you want me to do. Do you want me to find a different ride?" Elena started to open the car door but stopped when Bonnie put her foot on the gas.

"Don't be stupid, I'm already out here." Bonnie shook her head angrily. "Things need to change Elena, that's all I can say." Now they were both angry.

"You don't understand Bonnie!" The car lurched to a quick stop. Luckily there were no cars behind them.

"Fine, then make me understand Elena." Bonnie moved the car to a parking spot and shut it off.

Elena sighed, her heart beating fast making her feel even more awkward. "I love Stefan." She started. Her phone lit up with a new text message from Damon.

"Well it sure looks like Damon is the new Stefan." Bonnie's eyes fell on Elena's cell phone and shook her head in disgust. "You're out here in nowhere-ville because of Damon who snatched you out of your bedroom, and you expect me to believe it's Stefan you love." Bonnie was convinced her best friend had turned into a shmuck. Elena grabbed the hand Bonnie was holding the keys in.

"Bonnie, let me finish." Elena spoke urgently, wanting to get the rest of the words out before Bonnie could protest. "Yes, I love Stefan, but I'm not _in _love with him." She paused, remembering great days they had spent together having fun. "Not anymore at least.." Now her mind was on Damon. "When I first met Damon, I feared him. I _hated_ him." She felt the note in her pants pocket. "I know it's hard for you and everyone else to believe, but he cares about me." Elena knew she couldn't show the note to Bonnie, it would only prove Damon's point further. Bonnie's face was unreadable. She sighed.

"Elena, he's the enemy." When Bonnie said this Elena's mouth dropped. "He's only going to bring you down."

"He's different now Bonnie! He's different with me!" Elena protested. "To you, he's just another vampire, but to me… he's the world Bonnie. He's _my _world. I love him like he loves me." Bonnie and Elena sat staring at each other before they both burst into tears and wrapped their arms around each other.

"You should really talk to Caroline, Elena." Bonnie broke away from the embrace with a grin plastered on her face. She handed Elena a napkin to wipe away her tears, while she wiped away her own. "She hasn't been able to talk about anything but how sorry she was for 'taking away' what you had claimed." This made Elena laugh.

"Yeah, I'll talk to her." They smiled at each other and faced the windshield, preparing for the long ride home. Bonnie clicked on the stereo from a button on the steering wheel, and Elena checked her text message from Damon. She blinked, not able to breathe. _Damon was leaving. _

Bonnie saw the tears drip down Elena's face. "What's wrong?"

"Damon's leaving." Elena choked out behind her sobs. Her shoulders heaved and she felt like screaming. _Who would save her now?_

**Hey y'all! Thanks for sticking with me. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and plan on reading all of the chapters to come. Leave me your review, and I'll try to incorporate your ideas into it.**


	17. Chapter 17

Damon found himself pulling into his driveway. He couldn't help but wish Stefan wouldn't be home. The chances of that were slim but there was nothing wrong with hoping. He jiggled his keys nervously as he strolled into the house. He zoned all his senses on Katherine. _She _was the one he had come looking for. He knew she could help, even though she wouldn't want to.

He went straight for the fridge, mixing himself a vampire-screwdriver consisting of orange juice and blood. He could tell Katherine was lurking just around the corner. He quietly set his cup down and met her before she could make herself seen.

"Katherine." His voice was smooth and bland.

"Damon." Katherine smirked and trailed a hand from Damon's stomach around to his back. She took a seat on a stool and waited for Damon to spit out what he had come home to say.

"I need information." Damon walked to where Katherine sat and stood relaxed with his hand resting on the marble countertop.

"And what makes you think I'm going to give it to you?" Katherine raised an eyebrow.

"See, this is how it's gonna go down," Damon circled Katherine in her stool. "You better start talking or I will kill you in your sleep." Damon's grin was based on his anger. There were few things that could make him really smile right now, and dealing with Katherine was not one of them.

Katherine smirked, amused by Damon's headstrong ways. She patted his shoulder. "Oh, Damon." She outright laughed. In a second she was behind him with his head pressed into her hands so she was twisting his neck at an uncomfortable angle. "If you're threatening someone, you better be ready to defend yourself." Katherine was glad when Stefan interrupted her. She didn't really want to kill Damon, but if that's what it took to silence him, she would do it.

"Hi Stefan." She bounced over to him with a pep in her step. She brushed his hair back with her fingers. She lay a quick kiss on his cheek and winked as she backed up. Stefan sidestepped her, doing his best to ignore the fact that her cold dead lips had just been on him.

All the while, Bonnie and Elena were pulled over on the side of the road. Bonnie was comforting Elena the best she could.

"Shh.." Bonnie rubbed Elena's back. "Hush now." She couldn't get Elena to stop crying. Without warning, the door to Bonnie's car was torn off and Elena was ripped from the car by a man in a hooded sweatshirt. Bonnie was powerless to stop it. She stared at the empty seat next to her in shock.

Back at the Salvatore house, Stefan was just settling in after going to Elena's to check on her. Weirdly enough, she hadn't been there. Stefan finally built up the nerve to ask Damon. "Where's Elena?"

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	18. Chapter 18

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter prior to this one. Send me a review when you finish this one. :P**

Damon was not in the mood to play any games. "What are you talking about?" Stefan looked at him like he didn't even have a brain.

"I asked, where…is…Elena?" He spoke the words slowly.

"She should be home." Damon flicked his hand, brushing Stefan's question off. "I thought you just went to see her."

"I did." Stefan's voice released the panic building in him.

"Surprise surprise." Damon rolled his eyes and his teeth clenched out of jealousy. "Let me guess, you reconciled?" Stefan didn't look amused.

"What do you mean she _should _be home, Damon?" Stefan growled, his voice threatening to break if Damon didn't say something positive. Damon looked up from his book.

"Wait, you mean she _wasn't _home?" Damon and Stefan's hearts dropped in sync. _Shit._ They both jumped into action, working as a team to find their princess. Stefan just wanted to hear Elena's voice telling him she was alright and Damon wanted to hold Elena in his arms and tell her he was sorry he had left her and that he forgave her. Stefan dialed Elena and was discouraged when it went to voicemail. He tried again, trying not to panic. He let out a sigh when someone picked up. His hope was lost though when it wasn't Elena, but instead Bonnie. Her voice was quivering badly and it made Stefan very uneasy.

"What's going on Bonnie?" Damon stared at Stefan on the phone. Damon could hear Bonnie on the other end of the line, sniffling and hiccupping, trying to regain composure.

"Elena-she-I can't.." Bonnie didn't want to allow herself to lose it completely, but it seemed like she already had.

"Bonnie, where are you?" After a minute of desperately trying to speak coherently, Bonnie told Stefan where she was located. "Ok, stay put. We're on our way." Bonnie didn't know who _we_ was but she didn't care, as long as someone came to help her and got Elena back.

"Elena!" She pounded her fists against the steering wheel, angry she had been so useless when Elena was taken. Tears flowed freely down her face.

Damon was driving and Stefan was grudgingly in the passenger's seat. He would have much preferred be the one driving the get away car _and _save Elena. "Since when did you take an interest in saving someone rather than killing them?" Stefan asked accusingly.

"I'm a good guy now, remember?" Damon still managed to sound cocky and care-free when he was boiling over with emotion. Neither of them talked for the rest of the ride. Damon floored it the entire way. There was no way he was going to lose Elena when thing's had finally been looking up, even if they had just gotten into a disagreement. He wanted to feel Elena whispering in his ear. He wanted to wake up next to her. Stefan on the other hand just wanted Elena to be ok. Her safety was enough. The rest would come later. It was a small relief when Damon and Stefan finally arrived to the spot where Bonnie was parked. She was slumped over the wheel. Her hair had fallen all around her. Stefan flung his door open and raced over to Bonnie. He couldn't smell any blood, but he wasn't sure if Bonnie was in bad shape or not.

"Bonnie, Bonnie." He prodded her lightly. Watery dark brown eyes peered up at Stefan from under her mop of hair.

"Stefan…" She had heard a car pull up and she had assumed it was him but she hadn't been sure, and at this point it really didn't matter who it was. She couldn't find Elena. Her location spell wouldn't work with the resources she had at hand. It would take at least an hour to get back to Mystic Falls and then even longer to gather her supplies.

"Bonnie, you're gonna be fine. Can you tell me what happened? We need to get Elena back." When he said 'we' he glanced over at Damon who was leaning against his car. Bonnie swallowed the lump in her throat and took a deep breath. Damon listened as she retold Stefan what had happened. He felt his heart cracking. He refused to cry in front of his brother and Bonnie. He was going to get Elena back and that was final.


	19. Chapter 19

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Elena fought the need to gag against the dirty rag shoved in her mouth. Her wrists were tied neatly together by a rope that rubbed against her skin every time she moved. She winced as she could feel it already making her wrists raw. She was sitting on a cold floor; a space only big enough for two people to sit and one person to lay down with their knees bent. There were metal bars preventing her from escaping if her hands weren't already clasped together behind her back.

"It's as I feared." She heard a young man's voice speak. "It's not even her."

"We need her anyways you moron!" Now she heard another voice speaking, this one sounded older and more irritated.

Elena hit her head off the wall when she jerked back, scared of the face that suddenly appeared on the other side of the bars. When he spoke she recognized it to be the younger voice. An Irish accent was detectable. "What have we got here?" He asked rhetorically. Elena gave him her best glare but behind her fear and not being able to speak, it wasn't very effective. "So, you're not Katrina Petrova." He stated obviously. Of course she knew who she wasn't. She also knew who she _was_, but he didn't seem to. "My name's Ivan." He reached through the bars and unclogged Elena's mouth. He retracted his hand before she could bite him. "What's your name?" He asked her like she would actually tell him. Just because she knew his, didn't mean he had the right to know hers. He had kidnapped her after all.

"Fuck you." She literally spit at him. He didn't dodge it like he would have liked to. She was too unpredictable.

"You little bitch." He wiped his face, then stuck a beefy arm through the bars and held her throat tightly in one hand. "You will not disrespect me." He squeezed a little tighter and Elena gasped for air.

"Ivan!" The other man finally came into view. "Now is not the time to kill her." The man spoke through gritted teeth. Ivan dropped his hand and sighed in agitation.

"Yes, Kristopher." He clenched his fists like it took everything he had not to strangle her to death right then and there. Kristopher knelt down so he was eye level with Elena.

"Now you, you're going to tell me your name." Elena knew he wasn't compelling her, but she felt she didn't have a choice in whether or not she told him.

"Elena." She wouldn't give them the satisfaction of saying anything more.

"Hello Elena." Kristopher and Ivan spoke in unison. "You're going to die very soon. And it will be us who will kill you." First they grinned devilishly at Elena, then they smirked evilly at each other.


	20. Chapter 20

**This chapter is one of the shorter chapters I'm pretty sure, but I hope you like it all the same. Please leave a review! (:**

Elena denied her body unconsciousness as two shots were loaded into her. The first one clipped her shin excruciatingly, the next grazed her left shoulder. Her right hand automatically pressed it, feeling the blood ooze between her fingers. Things were getting blurry and she didn't know how much longer she could stay awake.

"Bonnie, you have to help us find Elena!" Damon's voice was more urgent than Stefan had ever heard it. Bonnie began to protest but seemed to think better. She nodded, then started to chant. She produced a small candle from her center console. With a wave of her hand, it was lit. After five minutes of trying, Bonnie had the misfortune of the overworked-magic-nosebleed. After another few minutes of struggling with no results, she tried a different tactic.

"Stefan, do you have something with you that belongs to Elena?" Stefan felt in his pockets. They were hopelessly empty.

"I do." Damon jogged to his car and back. He handed Bonnie the ring he had given Elena. She had left it on the nightstand at the motel. Bonnie eyed Damon suspiciously.

"I don't know if this will work. If Elena doesn't claim this to be hers then the spell will reject it." Bonnie had used up a lot of power already and this attempt could drain her. Stefan's chest tightened when he found himself believing that Elena would take it back once Damon said he was sorry for whatever he had done to her. Without further comment, Bonnie went on with her spell. This would take more energy than if she had materials to help her. Damon and Stefan grew impatient waiting, but finally Bonnie's eyes snapped to theirs.

"She's ten miles from town, in a broken down house two miles from the side of the road." Her brows pinched together. "West of Mystic Falls." Stefan laid a hand on her shoulder. Bonnie looked like she was about to collapse.

"Thank you Bonnie; you did very good." Stefan gave her a weak smile. "Maybe you should wait here until we have Elena. You don't look capable to drive." Damon was getting antsy while Stefan talked.

"Let's go." Damon dragged out the O in go. He was in his car and ready to drive off when Stefan waved at him. "What?" Damon was itching to speed away.

"Just go." Stefan's heart was painfully squeezing in his chest. He swallowed the lump forming in his throat. "Bring Elena home." His voice begged with Damon not to question him. Damon nodded in relative understanding. Stefan watched Damon gun it down the road. He left a cloud of dust in his wake.


	21. Chapter 21

**I hope y'all enjoy this chapter! I know I do :D Have fun!**

Damon arrived in front of the shack-of-a-house in under an hour. "Someone doesn't upkeep their home…" Damon shuddered at the thought of the Salvatore house ever being this badly groomed. His feet were already moving before he thought about it. There was no time to waste; he knew whoever had Elena wasn't going to spare her for his benefit. For whatever reason she was taken, it was not a good one; he could feel it in the air all around him. As he grew closer he started to hear men's voices. _But where was Elena's?_ Things were already looking grim. He quickened his pace to an effortless jog. "Come on, Elena…" He begged to the emptiness surrounding him. In a few more strides he would be at the door. He was praying a human didn't live here. If one did, they were being compelled to keep any vampires out. As quiet as he could, he tried the door. It was unlocked. Next, he put a cautious step through the door way. It seemed safe. His senses zoned in on everything with Elena's scent on it. Elena was definitely here, he was able to tell that much; but where, he was uncertain. Her scent was being masked by the smell of at least two male vampires. Above all, Damon could smell blood; not just any blood though, it was Elena's blood, and a lot of it too. Damon had no idea what he was walking into; whether it was a death trap or amateurs looking for fun and a snack, but he had to rescue Elena.

Elena was completely unaware of anyone else being in the house, but the vampires were not so easily snuck-up on.

"Ivan, go check on that." Kristopher motioned up the stairs with a nod of his head. Elena was just gaining consciousness. "Oh hello dear." Kristopher greeted her like they were friends and not enemies. "It seems we have company." His eyes darted to the stairs quickly and then back again. "You don't happen to know who would be coming, would you?" _What did he think Elena was, stupid? _

"Even if I knew," Elena coughed up blood, "I wouldn't tell you." She spit the blood on his bare forearm and wiped her mouth with the back of her free hand. She didn't know how long it would take for her to lose consciousness again. Things were already growing dim again. Kristopher snarled at her, "Once Ivan comes back with the body of the intruder, we are going to make you suffer like you never have before." His eyes burned with passion for the kill. Elena didn't know how much more torture she could endure. They had already strangled her and shot her twice.

Just then, Damon came charging down the stairs. He was wielding the biggest butcher knife Elena had ever seen. He jammed it into Kristopher's side. It slid in all the way to the hilt. Elena's eyes were beginning to mist over. She had never felt this before. The pain was ebbing away and she could feel her pulse slowing. The world seemed to be becoming smaller and smaller. Pretty soon there would be nothing left.

"Who are you and what do you want with Elena?" Damon growled viciously. Kristopher choked and half-laughed.

"Kris," Damon removed the knife and jabbed it into Kristopher's lower abdomen. Kristopher yelled in pain. "You're a fool to think I'd tell you!" Kristopher panted. That's when Damon looked over at Elena who was slowly sliding down the wall. Her eyes were flickering closed. Damon had to act quickly. He twisted the knife excruciatingly inside of Kristopher. Before he tossed the knife aside, he twisted Kristopher's neck so there was an audible snapping. He cast him aside and went straight for the metal bars that held Elena in. He didn't bother with the lock, he simply pulled the bars wide enough apart to reach in and pull Elena out. She didn't stir in his arms when he ran her to his car. He lay her on the hood and stared at her wide eyed. _What the hell could he possibly do?_ He ran his hands through his hair, and let it catch in his fingers, tugging at it anxiously.

"Elena," He moaned, "Elena." His eyes were brimming with tears as he sliced his own wrist open with his teeth. "Drink baby girl." He put his wrist to her lips, willing her tongue to dart out and touch the blood. She didn't move a muscle.

"Katherine," Damon's voice was frail as he spoke into his cell phone. "I need your help."

"I'm listening." She replied from the other end.

"Save Elena for me." His voice wasn't going to hold out for much longer before it broke altogether.

"I won't do it for free." Katherine decided.

Damon didn't have time to negotiate. "Whatever you want, it's yours." Katherine's laugh chimed bitterly and her request was an exact quote from a song she had been tuned into on the radio.

"I don't ask much, I just want you." The line went dead.

**Haha, are you all mad at me now? Review please!**


	22. Chapter 22

**Hey there, this is the longest chapter to date.. so I really hope you like it! **

Damon's body sank down to the ground, the tip of Elena's shoe touching his back. He covered his face with his hands. He let out an animal-like cry. His chest heaved with sobs. He pounded an angry fist against the dirt. It sent up puffs of dust all around him. It made his eyes sting, but it was a relief from the wet, hot tears covering his face.

"Bonnie," Stefan lay a cool hand on Bonnie's cheek, "Let's get you home." Bonnie nodded, her eyes seeming to see something far off in the distance. Stefan nodded slowly back at her. He couldn't bring himself to smile.

Katherine was on her way to Damon. She didn't know what made her so sure he would trust her but this was her chance to make Damon see that he belonged with her. She had a plan and it would be so easy to complete. She wasn't going to stop until both Salvatore brothers found their love for her once again. This time, she wouldn't let them get away from her.

Damon peeled off his shirt in the heat. He used it to wipe his tears away, then tossed it in his back seat. He came back around to stand next to where Elena's head lay. He smoothed the matted hair away from the cheeks that were going from a rose pink color to a pale, ghostly white. "I love you, Elena." His eyes were threatening to overflow again. All he wanted was to go back to the way he used to be; when he didn't have a care in the world; when he didn't feel. By taking the chance of opening up, he let in so many demons. Even Katherine being locked away from him was better than this. "I'll never let you go if you just wake up...my angel." Damon kissed her cheek and felt the cold creeping in. His agreement with Katherine made this impossible, but if there was a will, maybe he would be lucky enough to find a way. If he could get Elena to open her beautiful eyes, move those perfect lips, shake her luscious hair, nod her angelic face, he would break down all over again. He would reach out for her and stroke her cheek, but he would drown if he could never feel her warmth again. He shuddered and straightened up at Katherine's voice.

"I'm here." She walked to him with her head held high. She searched his eyes.

"Took you long enough." He growled. She could hear the strain in his voice. She was taken aback. _When did Damon grow up?_ She stepped around Damon to look at Elena. Without even touching her, Katherine could feel Elena's heart in her mind. She shook her head.

"There's a lot of damage here." Soon there wouldn't be a heartbeat left. Her breathing was irregular and it would take the strength of a vampire to keep her alive. There was the possibility that even vampire's blood wouldn't help her. Trying to wake her or save her could make thing's worse… she could live in a coma for the rest of her life. Katherine felt Damon watching her intently and impatiently. "You've tried feeding her your blood?" She wasn't asking a question. Damon nodded. His will to go on was fading. Katherine could sense it in her entire body. Waves of a strange darkness were sweeping over her from Damon. She had never felt anything like it. She shivered. He was emitting more power than she had ever detected before. Her eyes grew wide. Damon didn't even notice the difference in the air. Katherine began choking; her lungs were squeezing together. She raised a hand to her chest. She stumbled back and nearly toppled backwards when the tension in her lungs was released. Damon put a hand out to her and his expression was desperate and scared. He reminded her of a little boy she had taken the life from when she was a new vampire. The face haunted her when she let feeling back in. She couldn't seem to block it back out, and a typhoon of emotion washed over her. It swept her off her feet and she was knocked to the ground. Damon bent over her, his worried face paining her.

"Katherine," She got herself off the ground, "she's dying." Damon couldn't' get any other words out. Katherine nodded and went to Elena's side. She had no intent of reviving Elena. All the humanity in the world wasn't going to remove her hatred for the girl.

After Stefan had dropped Bonnie off at her home in Mystic Falls, he rushed to meet Damon. A quarter mile away he could already tell thing's were worse than he thought they ever could be. Damon and Katherine were more than surprised when he appeared in the clearing. He was staring down at Elena's lifeless body in an instant. "Elena!" He brushed his hand down her arm and tore his wrist open without a thought. "Drink." Elena was unresponsive. Stefan looked up into the sad eyes of Damon. Katherine watched the two brothers.

"She can't be saved." Katherine told them. It was partly a lie, but Stefan and Damon didn't want to believe her. "Your blood isn't going to work fast enough even if you got her to suck you dry." Katherine spoke half-heartedly, hoping the boys would give it a rest.

Stefan snapped out of his daze. "But if she drains an _original…_" It took a second before Damon and Katherine understood where Stefan was going with this.

"Yes, Katherine," Damon stepped up to the plate, "you made a promise to me."

"I did no such thing." Katherine backed up with wild eyes.

"Let her drink from you Katherine." Stefan ordered her with meaning behind his voice, his strength visibly rippling beneath his tight, navy blue shirt.

"No, I won't." Katherine protested meekly.

"Oh but you will." Damon and Stefan talked in unison. They glanced at each other quickly before turning their undivided attention back to Katherine who was slowly backing up.

"Katherine Pierce, the coward." Damon laughed. "Is that who you've become?" This started a small fire in Katherine. She stopped walking, and let out a growl from deep in her throat.

"Fine." She went to Elena and forced her mouth open. She cut a line in her wrist deep enough to draw blood, then stuck her dainty wrist in Elena's mouth. She thought of drowning Elena by pouring water in. It would gradually suffocate her if it seeped into her throat. Elena's body very slowly gave in to Katherine's blood. There were no visible change's, but Katherine could feel life inching it's way back into Elena's heart. It wouldn't be enough though. She pulled her wrist away.

"What are you doing?" Stefan sneered.

"The only way you're going to get her to live and actually see another day is to turn her." Katherine knew neither Salvatore brother would want that for Elena.

Damon started to tell Katherine no when Stefan spoke up. "Ok," Katherine whipped back around to face him. "I'll do it." He sucked in a breath.

Katherine's lips formed the word 'no'.

Damon couldn't find the words to disagree. This wasn't what he wanted for the love of his life. Turning had changed Katherine, he knew as much. Pictures could show you that as clear as day.

Stefan held Elena's head between his hands. He sucked in another breath and held it. His eyes closed as the head beneath him was twisted unnaturally at the neck. Stefan dug his fingers into the palm of his hand and bit his lip to keep himself from going berserk. Damon couldn't feel himself falling to his knees. Katherine stood motionless, she had to get out of there before Elena woke up… but it was too late. Elena's bottom lip trembled as her fiery eyes shot open and her canine teeth flashed to fangs sharper than Katherine had ever witnessed. Damon and Stefan were beside themselves with a kind of emotion neither of them had ever felt before. It was like they were every feeling you could have, but all at once. Elena swung her feet off the car and her teeth retracted themselves. She was yet to feel the thirst, and for some reason… the sunlight was not affecting her. Damon and Stefan hadn't thought of this. At the sight of Elena alive, Katherine ran. The rumors were proved to be more than rumors right before her eyes, with Damon and Stefan totally unaware.

**Well, let me know if your mouth dropped.. lol :D Review please!**


	23. Chapter 23

**As usual, I hope you like this chapter. :)**

Damon got up off his knees and started to step towards Elena but Stefan beat him to it. "Elena, are you alright?" Stefan exclaimed. Damon sighed. The part where Stefan would get all the glory didn't bother him so much. His brother was going to have to deal with being the one who killed Elena for the rest of his eternal life. Damon stalked forward. He shoved his hands into his pockets distractedly. Elena's eyes went past Stefan to Damon. She slid off the hood of the car and strolled over to Damon. She reached up and resting her elbows on his shoulders, she ran her hands through Damon's hair as she turned her lips up to his and kissed him with a wicked smile. Damon didn't like the taste of it. Normally her smile would have made him smile, but he was hesitant to wrap his arms around her waist. Moments ago he would have done anything to have this moment but now that it was playing out, it felt wrong. The way she was acting was all wrong. "Elena…" Stefan said weakly. His hands were shaking. It took seeing Stefan in this form to snap Elena out of her funk. She immediately let go of Damon and shook her head, clearing it.

"I feel so… powerful…why?" Elena looked bewildered and confused. Her hands were palm up in front of her. She looked at them like they were the key to answering her questions. Damon looked to Stefan for help. Avoiding too many nasty details, Stefan explained the basics of what happened to Elena. Like Katherine, Elena discovered her ability to stay in the sun. She stared down at her hands again.

"Then how am I not burning?" She looked first at Stefan then at Damon. Damon and Stefan shared a moment of equal uncertainty. How could she be a vampire while being unprotected in the sunlight?

"We don't know…" Stefan answered for the both of them. "Let's get you home though." Stefan held out a hand for Elena to take. Damon didn't want her to take Stefan's hand in hers, but she did. He tried not to let it mean anything; if he did he couldn't be sure what he would do. Stefan opened the passenger door and let Elena slide in while he got into the back seat. Damon closed Elena's door for her before climbing into the driver's seat himself. Elena and Stefan chatted here and there, but Damon remained silent. His eyes stayed dead-ahead on the road.

Katherine didn't know where she could go that would be safe. She had always put herself first and that wasn't going to change. Damon and Stefan were lucky they were on Elena's good side. If Elena ever turned on them, oh they would be screwed. That's why Katherine had to get away… before Elena found her and tore her to pieces.

**Sorry if that chapter was a little boring.. but hopefully it wasn't too bland. Read on, and send me your reviews. K thanks :D**


	24. Chapter 24

**I hope you all enjoy this chapter :)**

That night, Damon lay in bed with his fingers intertwined under his head. He stared blankly up at the ceiling as he thought. _What if Elena could have been saved without turning? What if she would never be the Elena he loved again? What if he spiraled out of control again?_ He turned onto his side. There were too many _what if's_. He sat up, his back hunched forward and his hands in his lap. He couldn't just sit there. He grabbed a grey zip up sweatshirt and put it on over his wife-beater. He slipped on his black sneakers and made his way out of the house without a sound. Even the closing of the door behind him was soundless. He knew Stefan had been at Elena's house earlier, but he had heard him come in hours ago. He had some blood packets stashed in his car that he decided on giving to Elena.

Five minutes later, Damon was ducking into Elena's room from her window. She was nowhere in sight.

Elena wanted to giggle at Damon but that would ruin the element of surprise, so she waited for him to turn around before she made herself visible.

Damon turned back around to face the window. "Shit!" He screamed as he jumped.

Elena giggled. "Shh," She put her finger to her lips, "You'll wake them." She pointed at her bedroom door, meaning Aunt Jenna and Jeremy were asleep. Damon's heart was hammering. _Jeez,_ how had she snuck up on him like that? Newly turned vampires were supposed to be clumsy and blood thirsty fiends. But Elena, she was not only friendly, she was bubbly. Damon raised an eyebrow.

"Elena?" He wasn't one to keep a safe distance, so he stepped forward. Now he was towering over her and he could smell the way she smelt when she was human. It was the same scent surprisingly. It was enticing. It gave him goose bumps. He moved her hair out of her face. Her eyes followed his eyes wherever they landed. "You're different." Damon stated simply. Elena could tell he was growing uncomfortable. She sat down on her bed.

"I'm not so different, Damon." She looked around the room absentmindedly. "Yeah, I know I should be dead… but I don't know, I don't feel guilty that I'm alive." She glanced up to see Damon watching her closely. "Ya know?" She waited for his response. Damon shook his head.

"No, I don't know." His eyes narrowed. "It nearly drove me insane when Stefan made me complete the transition into becoming a vampire." He paused. Anger was creeping into his voice. "You didn't have a choice when you changed, but I don't know… I guess it doesn't make much sense to me how anyone could be happy with this?" He looked disgusted. "We're monsters, don't you see that?" Damon clenched his hands into fists. He had come here to check on Elena and just talk to her, but instead he was lecturing her and getting himself worked up. Elena stood up and went to Damon.

"Oh Damon, there's nothing wrong with being what we are." She smiled at him. "I haven't hurt anyone, have I?" When Damon didn't answer she kissed him whole-heartedly. It felt so good, even Damon had to agree. He felt like the old Elena was coming through after all. He let himself envelop Elena. She buried her head into his chest and he planted kisses on her neck and along her jaw. He liked to think they could stay this way, happy. He led her to the bed where they both sat closely together. He didn't mean to ruin the moment but he had to ask about what happened when Elena was taken from Bonnie's car. Elena's expression made her appear to be somewhere distant. She spoke almost in a monotone manner. Damon could tell it was painful for her to talk about, but he had to make sure no vampire's were coming after her, or them. Elena described everything Ivan and Kristopher put her through. Her jaw tightened every time she got to a part about them physically hurting her. Damon got angry just hearing about Elena being harmed.

"You're my heaven in this hell." Damon kept his hands to himself. Elena needed to hear these words. He hoped she still felt the same after her transformation. "And I don't want to live without you, Elena. No matter what." He paused. "I'll be here for you." Elena waited for the rest of what Damon had to say. She was almost certain he wasn't finished. Damon smirked at the begging puppy-dog look on Elena's face. "I love you, Elena." Elena kept a straight face simply because she could. This disappointed Damon until Elena suddenly jumped to her feet and began bouncing up and down on her bed. Her fists were pumping the air as if she were excited. She bounced onto her butt and kissed Damon's cheek, then his lips.

"I love you, too!" She shrieked happily. Damon beamed with joy. Elena took Damon's hands in hers. "Come on, let's go." She smiled as she pulled him to the window he had come in through.

"Where are we going?" Damon laughed. He couldn't take his eyes off of Elena. "Oh, before we do anything I have something to give back to you." Damon pulled Elena's ring out of his jeans pocket. "This belongs to you." He couldn't stop grinning. Elena stared at the ring sitting in Damon's palm. She was about to take it when instead he slid it onto her finger. They smiled at each other as they held hands and dove out Elena's window, head first. They pulled into a flip and landed unscathed on their feet. This had taken Damon months to learn, while Elena did it in a matter of a few hours. He was amazed with her progress.

Katherine on the other hand, who was watching Damon and Elena from atop a tree was _not_ amazed. She was not pleased with how quickly Elena was learning the ropes. It appeared that Katherine was in more danger than she had initially thought, and that danger was coming up on her faster than she had thought it would. She had to find Jonathon Gilbert. He was the only one who could help her.

**Send me your reviews! :) kthnx**


	25. Chapter 25

**This chapter is dedicated to Lethalvampire. Her review gave me this idea! Haha, so if you like it,thank her by checking out any fanfictions she has to offer**

It took three and a half days, but Katherine finally found Jonathon Gilbert. She was lucky to have connections. "John," They both sat down, "This girl…this Elena…" She didn't know how to finish. She balled her hands up.

"Katerina, she hasn't turned has she?" Jonathon asked with a raised eyebrow. Katherine stopped breathing. Now Jonathon looked worried. "What have you done?" Katherine shook her head.

"I don't understand… why does she look exactly like me?" She asked. Jonathon stared at her as if she had multiple heads sprouting.

"You honestly don't remember…" Jonathon shook his head as if he were disappointed or irritated, or maybe he was both.

"Don't remember what?" Katherine just wanted to know what was going on. "The rumors are that she's my daughter, but that can't be possible." Katherine looked down at the polished table. "She's an unbelievably fast learner." She shook her head as she remembered everything Elena had done in her presence. "It just doesn't make sense… my daughter would have to be long dead, wherever or whoever she was…" Katherine trailed off. She wasn't sad about losing her daughter. Not anymore.

"Listen carefully, I'm only going to say this once." Katherine nodded. "And when I give the word, you leave here and never come back." Katherine didn't want to agree to his terms, but she had no choice. She nodded. Jonathon sighed and leaned back in his chair. Katherine prepared herself mentally for whatever he was about to say. "Your daughter, she was taken from you as a baby. A vampire named Lexi found your baby dying. She turned her into an immortal so she would no longer suffer. During the time you were locked away in the tomb, she was being cared for by Elijah, another original. With her, Elijah was able to break the curse of the sun, but Klaus had other intentions, and your daughter was turned back into a mortal and Elijah was no longer a trusted follower." Katherine's eyes were wide with the news she was hearing.

"Elena…is my daughter…?" Katherine was in shock. Jonathon nodded. Sometimes the truth was harder to hear than a lie. "That can't be." Her eyes were wide and her only movement was each blink. "I've attempted to kill my own daughter…so many times…" Her voice trailed off with disappointment in herself. _How could I? _She thought.

"It's time for you to leave now Katerina." Jonathon stood. He waited patiently for Katherine to stand up as well.

"But I don't know what to do John." Now Jonathon was growing annoyed. He had told her she was to leave the minute he instructed her to do so.

"Do nothing." Katherine looked up at Jonathon, her eyes ablaze. "If you live in the past, you will die." Katherine had the sudden urge to rip Jonathon's heart straight out of his chest and crush it beneath her. "She will hunt you down and _murder_ you." Katherine snarled.

"Or, she will hunt _you _down and murder _you_ for fathering her and ditching us both." This fact was new to Jonathon. He never knew the doppelganger baby had been his…

"What?" His eyes were wide.

"Guess you didn't figure that part out…" Katherine was behind Jonathon, holding him in a headlock. "I'll make sure to tell her that part when she comes looking for me." She kicked out his knees and shoved him to the floor before she turned her back and walked out.

**Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter :) Please feel free to write a review.**


	26. Chapter 26

**Hey guys, I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's a bit short, but it's somewhat interesting... so have fun!**

Stefan paced back and forth in his bedroom. He clasped his hands behind his head and growled in frustration. Damon wasn't home and Elena wasn't answering his texts. It was more disconcerting for Katherine not to be around than when she was acting as his shadow, trailing him around the house. Putting on his leather jacket, he headed out of the house with one thing on his mind… finding Elena and Damon. He stalked the empty streets in desperation for hours before stumbling across the strong smell of smoke. It wasn't the normal soft smell of chimney smoke, it was strong and it filled Stefan's nostrils with the intensity of a fire burning right in front of him. It burned his eyes like he was cutting up an onion.

He stopped in his tracks when he saw what was going on.

"You shouldn't have come here, Katherine." Damon hissed as he did his best to restrain Katherine. What no one realized was that Damon was holding back the wrong girl. Elena lashed out fiercely. She had been stubborn as a human, but as a vampire it turned out she was more of a fighter than anything.

Stefan watched with watering eyes and his mouth hanging open as Damon coughed, his lungs filling with the neighboring smoke. Elena lunged at Katherine's throat, sending Katherine flying back with Elena on top of her. She left claw marks on both Katherine's cheeks. Blood spewed from the wounds. This was tantalizing to the vampires. Elena was wild with revenge.

"You toyed with me!" Elena dug her fingers into Katherine's arms. Stefan blurred to Elena and dragged her off Katherine with the help of Damon. As Elena stood there panting from the exertion of holding Katherine down, Damon and Stefan exchanged glances.

"Elena…" Katherine was still on the ground, very shaken up. "Elena, there's something you need to know." Elena's muscles tensed.

"There's nothing I need to hear from you." She turned away and began walking up the street. Before she got far, Katherine was in front of her. Conquering her fear of her own daughter wasn't easy, but she had to get through to Elena. Being enemies wasn't going to work; not in this life.

"You have to listen to me, Elena." When Elena shrugged by her, Katherine forcefully grabbed Elena by the waist and sped her into the lonely house engulfed by flames. The fire department still hadn't shown up. Before Elena could do or say anything, Katherine blurted out, "You're my daughter."

Elena stared at her for a few seconds then shook her head, "I don't believe diddly squat coming from you." Katherine then watched as Elena did the unthinkable, even for a vampire. She walked through the flames, even as they licked at her. Stefan and Damon thought they were seeing things, especially when Elena came out on the other side, completely untouched by the heat.

**Well, was that a review worthy chapter? I hope so. :)!**


	27. Chapter 27

**ENJOY! :P**

By morning, Elena was giving in to the idea that maybe, just maybe, Katherine was her real biological mother. It would definitely explain the uncanny resemblance. _Oh who was she kidding… they could pass for identical twins. _Everything physical about them was exactly the same.

Elena lay in between Damon and Stefan on their guest bed. She tossed and turned while they slept soundlessly. Every time she closed her eyes she felt like she was falling back into the consuming sleep of death. The fire she had felt in her chest earlier had burnt out. She wished one of the men would wake up, but neither did for some time. Dropping back the sheets, Elena stood and gracefully jumped from the middle of the bed to the floor with even less noise than a skillful cat. When she was on the other side of the room's wall she sank to the floor and buried her head in her knee's. Her straight brown hair hung all around her. She felt like a predator; a dirty creature. A hurricane was brewing in her heart. She didn't even know which Salvatore brother she wanted anymore. When she first turned she thought it was Damon, but after watching them both sleep like angels she couldn't make up her mind.

"Elena?" Stefan blinked the sleep from his eyes as he stood just outside the doorway of the guest bedroom. He came and sat down next to Elena, looking sincerely concerned. Elena was surprised she hadn't heard him coming. "Did you have a nightmare?" He rubbed soothing circles on her back and waited for an answer. She sniffled.

"I feel so far away from everything… like I've been gone for a long time and I don't recognize anyone anymore." Elena peered one eye out from under her hair.

"Oh, Elena." Stefan wrapped an arm around her shoulders and squeezed her to him. "I love you." Elena looked up and Stefan kissed her forehead lovingly.

While Stefan was comforting Elena on the floor, Damon was on the other side of the wall. He too was sunk down to the floor. His tears fell silently and his heart was a black weight in his chest. Now he had to say goodbye to yesterday, as Elena and Stefan were making it very clear that Damon and Elena only existed in the past. Damon's fists clenched and unclenched. _No, he couldn't give up._ He let Stefan stand in his way when it came to Katherine. He let Elena stand in his way of hunting. He let Katherine stand in his way of living. _No more. _He loved Elena and if today was his last day, he was going to prove it to her one last time. All he needed was just one more moment. She couldn't wound him anymore. He already felt like he was trapped and dying. He'd be damned if he let Elena go. He would fight for her with every ounce of his being. She didn't need to say a thing; he would give his life for her.

**Hope you liked this chapter :)!**


	28. Chapter 28

**Hey :) Have fun.**

Elena and Stefan sat down at Elena's kitchen table. Aunt Jenna was at work and Jeremy was off somewhere. Elena had the faintest idea he was with Bonnie. This made her smile to herself. Stefan looked at her quizzically but didn't say anything.

"You don't have to feel alone in this Elena." Stefan's eyes didn't leave Elena's. Elena shook her head.

"That's not what I want to talk about Stefan." As a vampire Elena had more control over her facial expressions. If she didn't want her eyes to tear up, they wouldn't. If she didn't want her throat to close up, it wouldn't. Her body only acted normal when she allowed it to, and that was only when no one else was around.

While Stefan stared at Elena in confusion, Damon was standing atop the nurse's building at the high school. He had a tall, pretty girl in his clutches. Blood flowed freely from pin pricks that covered both sides of her neck. Damon's whole face was contorted into that of the beast he was. He was tired of being the hero. He tore into a bite-free part of the girl's pulsing neck. He devoured every last drop of blood from her until she was nothing more than a sickly light green corpse. He cast her aside easily, her body hitting the railing of the building and sliding over the edge to smack the ground with cracking bones and a bursting skull. Damon seemed to float as he jumped over the ledge, his arms outstretched with his trench coat dramatically catching the wind as if he were part of the Matrix.

* * *

"Well, over night you turned into this hot guy who's really sweet-" Jeremy cut in before Bonnie could finish her sentence.

"Wait, you think I'm hot?" A silly grin spread across his face.

"Umm…with everything that's going on… you know…" Bonnie didn't want to meet Jeremy's gaze. It was too awkward. "You're Elena's little brother, and yeah…I just-" Jeremy cut her off again.

"Enough already!" He took Bonnie's face in his hands, leaned down and kissed her sweetly but with a great need. Bonnie kissed him back like she had never kissed anyone else. It felt so right.

* * *

"I guess this is for the best." Elena stood to leave. Stefan stood up so fast that the chair he had been seated in, flew back. He hardly noticed.

"Elena!" He pleaded. "Please, I want you." He was close to shouting. "How can you leave knowing all our memories will have been for nothing?" He sounded accusing.

"Stefan, don't make me resent you." Elena wanted to roll her eyes but didn't. "I can't be with you while at least part of you likes one of my best friends." Elena shook her head.

"I should have know Damon would get to you." This one comment infuriated Elena. "All I asked for was for you to love me." Stefan continued. "You must know I'd do anything for you, Elena." He droned on. "Anything." Elena clenched her teeth together before she said something she would live to regret. Stefan's eyes pleaded with her but it did no good.

"This time I need to walk alone, Stefan." Elena spoke softly before she had even thought it over. "I don't expect you to understand, just like I never expected you to understand why I would go through so much pain for the people I love." Her gaze was steady and her voice was even. Stefan didn't want to hear anymore, but he couldn't bring himself to make Elena stop talking. For all he knew, this was the last time he would hear her speak. Seeing the truth in Elena's eyes made him fall even more in love with her, which made it that much harder to let go. He lacked the strength to chase after her as she walked out the door, leaving him standing in her kitchen all alone.

**;) You know what to do now.**


	29. Chapter 29

**Have fun with this one! ;P**

Damon and Elena both found themselves in the Salvatore boarding house yard. Elena arrived shortly before Damon. She let herself in Damon's room through a hallway window that connected his room to his own personal bathroom. She waited patiently on Damon's bed for him.

Damon came through his door, the blood that covered him masked Elena's scent. She was the last person he was expecting to see in his bedroom right now.

"Damon…" Her voice came out as a whisper, the rest of the words she had planned on spewing had caught in her throat. Damon's lips were stained red with blood. He took a staggering step forward, looking scared and unsure of himself. Elena blurred to him. She placed her hands on his chest and pressed her lips to his, licking the blood off. Damon started to back up but stopped when he found no reason to do so. He removed his hands from his coat and slid them snuggly into Elena's back pockets. He pressed his body closer to Elena's. "This sure doesn't taste like soccer mom." Elena teased as she broke her mouth away from Damon's. Damon couldn't control himself, he brought his lips crashing down on Elena's. She was startled, but soon her entire body craved Damon's just as he wanted her. Damon was pleased with her arousal and Elena could physically feel his against her. Elena smirked as they found the bed and she fell backwards on top of it. Elena felt like she was in the care of a beautiful angel.

With Damon and Elena having their own fun, Caroline answered the ringing doorbell, still in her nightgown. "Stefan?" Without Caroline's invitation, as he had already been welcomed into her home before, Stefan walked in. He pulled Caroline into a tight embrace, burying his head into her neck that was covered by her shiny blonde curls. Caroline was taken aback by Stefan's questionable action. After a minute of stupidly standing there, letting Stefan hug her, she hugged him back. It was horrible that the only thing she was thinking about was how Stefan's back must hurt from being bent over like he was.

"Umm…Stefan?" Caroline broke the tender moment. Stefan shook his head but Caroline didn't get it. He sighed.

"Elena's done with me." Stefan said pathetically. Caroline had every right to smack him, but she held back.

"That doesn't explain why you're here Stefan." Caroline eyed Stefan with one hand on her hip and her eyebrows raised. Stefan stepped forward towards Caroline and Caroline took a step back away from Stefan.

"She left me because of you, Caroline." Caroline's heart seemed to freeze. Now she felt guilty. She knew how close Stefan and Elena were.

"You need to tell her there's nothing between you and I, Stefan." Caroline wanted to physically push Stefan out the door, but didn't want to be rude.

"I tried doing that." Stefan looked like a lost puppy staring at Caroline. She was already beginning to feel sorry for him. "She won't accept it." Stefan looked away from Caroline, his eyes set on the floor at the end of the couch closest to him. Caroline walked forward and engulfed Stefan in a bear hug.

"We'll fix this, Stefan." She was trying to convince herself as well as him.

"How?" Stefan wasn't looking too good. "It was one thing to accept her death at old age, but now I'm going to have to live with knowing she is always going to exist even if it's without me." Caroline felt Stefan shudder against her. He was near to tears and they both knew it. Caroline patted his back.

"Shh…" She awkwardly hushed him. "It'll be ok."

**Well... haha. What did y'all think?**


	30. Chapter 30

**Hey there, I hope you enjoy this chapter! :D**

With the rest of the day still laying in front of them, Damon and Elena decided to venture around town. They walked hand in hand, happiness in the air between them. Deciding to stop at The Grill, they went inside and made a beeline for the pool tables in the back corner.

"Hey cutie." A guy in his early to mid 20's made an approach on Elena. She couldn't put a finger on it but he smelt different than other humans. He definitely wasn't a vampire… but something about him didn't seem human either. Either way, he was very obviously a new guy in town. "You wanna play some pool with us?" He asked Elena, not waiting to hand her a pool stick. Elena looked up, her hair moving out of her face. She noted that Damon's biggest weakness might actually be his jealousy of other guys interacting in any way with her.

A women who appeared dainty on the outside, but Elena could sense that was a cover, approached Damon with a suggestive strut. Elena rolled her eyes. It wasn't like Damon could see this chick's ass swaying all over the place. Elena let out a small laugh and circled the pool table so she could take her turn. Right off the bat she scored three balls.

"Hello there handsome" The blonde women was as bold as the man who had flirted with Elena. From the scent this women was giving off, Elena guessed her and the man were companions in some way. Elena saw Damon take a deep breath, more than likely taking in the women's strange scent. Her flirting wouldn't work if her scent put him out like the man's scent did to Elena.

Damon confirmed Elena's gut feeling; These people were not human nor vampire. "I'm not dumb." Damon kept a fake smile plastered on his face. Elena kept her hearing zoned in on their conversation.

"Oh that's alright. I didn't think you would be." The women was an annoyance to Elena. "This place is crawling with vampires, hm?" The women's eyes flickered over Elena. Elena was momentarily busy with taking her turn. Damon tensed. He felt a threat coming.

"What do you want?" Then, he thought of a better question. "What are you?" His eyes pinched together in irritation that he was missing something.

"My name is Jules, and you see that man there…" Jules pointed at the man who had been flirting with Elena. Damon's jaw clenched. "that's Mason Lockwood." Damon recognized the last name. "You may know his relatives. They live in town." It dawned on Damon who his relatives were. _Tyler Lockwood, _Elena's ex that she no longer spoke to. Damon just couldn't win today.

"Well whatever you want, I'll warn you right now… I don't play games." Damon growled menacingly. Jules laughed at Damon's cockiness.

"One bite from a werewolf and you'll die all over again, except this time…" Jules started walking backwards away from Damon, "there won't be a life to wake up to." She smirked smugly. _She was a werewolf? _Damon felt like Alice falling down the rabbit hole. Since when did werewolves really exist? Apparently this world held more secrets than even a vampire knew about. Damon watched as Jules made her way over to Mason. She lay a hand on his arm and Mason nodded.

"Sorry guys," Mason set down his pool stick on the lip of the table, "and lovely lady." He grinned at Elena, showing all of his perfectly white teeth. "I gotta duck out." He let Jules lead him out of The Grill. Damon and Elena were now standing together, both looking after the two strange _people. _

**I hope you liked the chapter! :)**


	31. Chapter 31

**Hello there :)! I really hope you enjoy this chapter, cause I know I sure enjoyed writing it.**

"Alaric!" Elena waved a tall man over to where her and Damon sat at the bar. Damon put his glass down, waiting for _Alaric. _

"Elena," Alaric walked up to them. "I'm pretty sure you're not old enough to be drinking." He laughed.

Elena held up her plastic cup half filled with Coke and shook it a little so the contents sloshed around inside the cup. "Just soda." She smiled at Alaric like they were old friends. Alaric took a seat next to Damon, with his back resting on the counter so he was facing away from the bar. He stretched his legs out in front of him.

"So, I'm Alaric." Now he was talking to Damon. Damon's eyes narrowed. He didn't do introductions; especially not with men. Alaric got the feeling Damon didn't care, and he couldn't be more right. Damon looked at the wall behind the bartender, trying to block out the man who was seated next to him.

"So have you told Jenna?" Elena went into serious mode, casually sipping from the straw in her drink. She kept her eyes tamed on Alaric.

"You mean about Isobel or what really happened to your car?" Alaric raised an eyebrow then chuckled quietly. "Well no to both." He spun himself around so he was face to face with the bartender. "I'll have a sprite." He gave the bartender a quick smile, then went back to his conversation with Elena. "How do you tell someone your wife is dead… but alive…and you aren't living with them anymore because they've turned into…well, you know."

"A bitch?" Elena finished for him, and they both laughed.

"Yeah…" Alaric was glad thing's were so easy with him and Elena.

"So Jenna's still pretty mad about the car thing, am I right?" Alaric had given Elena's aunt Jenna the cover story that he had been the one driving when Elena's car crashed. It explained the cuts and bruises Elena had, had.

Alaric sighed. "Yeah, she won't talk to me." Alaric's eyes betrayed his feelings. Elena then noticed how beautiful his eyes were. He was an attractive man in general, and his aunt was a pretty women. She wanted things between them to work out. "You must be Stefan." Alaric was stubborn, he wasn't going to let the man Elena was with put a damper on things, even if his life at the moment was very imperfect anyway.

Damon snorted and finally made eye contact with Alaric. Something about Alaric made Damon not hate him completely. "I'm Damon, Stefan's brother."

Alaric looked confused. If this was Stefan's brother, then what was he doing with Elena? "I didn't know he had a brother." The bartender set down Alaric's sprite and waited for Alaric to hand him his money.

"Well, Stefan isn't one to brag." Damon covered his disappointment with his usual cockiness.

"Elena!" Damon and Alaric turned to find a guy in The Grille's blue Staff t-shirt strolling excitedly up to Elena.

"Oh hey Matt." Elena smiled half heartedly. Damon didn't like the feeling he was getting. This Matt kid gave off a vibe that said he was definitely into Elena. _What was with this town? Did every guy have the hots for Elena? _

"What's up? How have you-" Matt remained smiling, up until Damon cut him off.

"I meant to ask, what's so special about that Bella girl?" The group remained silent. "You know, sparkly Cullen guy?" Damon prompted.

"Oh!" Elena understood. "Twilight." She nodded her head. "Right." Alaric and Matt joined in an uncomfortable laugh.

"Edward is so whipped!" Damon burst out. He wasn't sure what was making him want to hold a conversation.

Matt gave Damon a funny look. "Ugh, I'll see you later Elena."

Elena smiled and nodded. "Ok." Elena let Matt hug her. When Caroline pranced over, Damon couldn't help but think _is it bother Damon day?_

"Hi Caroline." Elena said coldly.

Caroline nodded slowly. "Alaric." She gave him a fake smile and he smiled back, knowing thing's were only going to get more awkward.

"Can I talk to you Elena?" Caroline asked quickly.

Elena looked up and met Caroline's gaze. "There's nothing to talk about."

Damon could feel the tension in the air. "So, you all know my broody brother Stefan, he likes puppy blood…little Golden Retriever blood with floppy ears. That's his favorite." Damon bobbed his head. Alaric, Caroline and Elena all looked at him with their eyes squinting and their mouths hanging open.

Caroline caught on to what he was trying to do. By making random comments, Damon could lift some of the awkwardness. It was a childish thing to do, but Caroline didn't mind there being less tension. "So… how come we don't sparkle?" She asked, hopeful to get a response from someone.

When no one else answered, Damon used his love of making fun of Twilight to reply, "Because we live in the real world where vampires burn in the sun."

Elena's eyes shot to Damon's. "Alaric, I was wondering if I could talk to you about something." Elena's ability to walk under the sun unscathed was still a mystery.

"Yeah, sure." Alaric replied. Elena stood up and walked over to the pool tables with Alaric following suit.

"I know Isobel did a lot of research…" Alaric watched Elena knit her fingers together then let them fall apart. "Well I was hoping you could help me figure something out." Elena sounded like a little girl asking her grandma to buy her candy.

"What do you need?" Alaric was willing.

Elena held up her hands. "I can walk under the sun…with no ring." Alaric looked down at his own hand where a large high school class graduation type ring sat on his finger. This kept him from dying any supernatural death, while Damon and Stefan's rings allowed them to walk in the daylight without bursting into ash.

Alaric nodded. "Sure, I'll check on that."

"Thank you." Elena nodded and they parted.

**Send me your reviews!(:**


	32. Chapter 32

**I hope you enjoy this chapter. I'm pleased with the amount of comedy I got in here.**

"Wait, what?" Elena was sitting on the edge of Damon's bed, watching him fumble with the buttons of his shirt. Today was the rehearsal for tomorrow, which was the day someone would be crowned Miss. Mystic Falls.

"It's cool not growing old." Damon let his hands fall, his drunken fingers giving up. "I like being the eternal stud." He grinned into the mirror. Elena got up and fixed his shirt for him.

"Eternal stud, huh?" Elena smirked.

"Some girls just can't resist my good looks, my style, my charm and my unflinching ability to listen to…" Damon paused to make a gagging noise, "Taylor Swift." Elena hit him upside the head.

"You have no sense of humor." Damon playfully started tickling Elena.

"No, no, stop it!" Elena giggled. "We don't have time." Damon continued to tickle her.

"We're the fastest thing's on earth…" Damon picked Elena up so that her legs were wrapped around him. "we always have time." They made out for a good five minutes before Elena's alarm on her phone went off.

"Damon!" Elena hurried to her feet. "We're gonna be late." Damon propped himself up on his fist and shrugged.

"So, who cares?" Damon watched Elena give him a dirty look while she fixed her hair.

"I do." Elena stepped away from the mirror and pulled Damon off the bed by the hand he had resting on his abdomen.

They made it to the Founder's Hall just before the door's closed. "So what are you gonna do while they're prepping me?" Elena asked Damon, only half paying attention to his answer as she was ushered along by several women talking into Bluetooth microphones.

"Seeing as how it's Founder's Day and Stefan's sure to be around here somewhere…." Damon noticed how Elena didn't jump at Stefan's name like she used to. He shrugged inwardly. "I'm gonna eat cotton candy and steal you away from him." Damon knew this would get Elena's attention, and it did. She scowled.

"Damon." She saw right through his charades. She stopped walking long enough to frown at him like he should know better. He kissed her, and she went off to where she was supposed to be.

Damon walked into a large room; he guessed it was the Ball Room. He spotted Stefan dancing with Caroline. Stefan noticed him less than a minute later. He sauntered over to Damon with Caroline remaining on the dance floor shimmying every which way she knew how.

"We have a problem, Stefan." Damon let Stefan sip some _punch_ he poured from a mini thermos. "And when I say problem, I mean _global crisis."_ Stefan stayed looking relaxed. Stefan shrugged carelessly, his eyes clearly watching Caroline swing her hips. "You seem awfully chipper…" Damon didn't see what was so interesting about Caroline. _Sure, she was kinda-sorta pretty… but she was no Elena. __You're a dead ringer for Katherine, _Damon remembered telling Elena to turn her against Stefan. It hadn't worked but it was fun watching the 'cute' couple fight over it. "Have I entered some alternate universe where you're fun?" Damon couldn't keep Stefan's attention.

"I don't believe anything that you have to say, Damon." Stefan started to get up, but Damon pushed him back down.

"What if I said Elena could be in trouble?" Damon finally caught Stefan's attention.

Stefan narrowed his eyes, not sure if this was a trick. "I'm listening."

Damon nodded appreciatively, but before he actually got to speak, Stefan decided he didn't care to hear Damon out. "I realize that stealing _your _girlfriend is evil, but yet it's somehow worthy of humor…"

"Are you mimicking me?" Damon stared at Stefan in disbelief.

"Yes, _Stefan." _Stefan continued his mockery. "After being gone for a really long time, I'm back to my routine of _how can I destroy Stefan's life this week." _

Damon decided to play along. "And _I _can go back to trying unsuccessfully to cover up my abnormally large forehead, sulking, and uselessly longing for Elena. Oh, and I can't trust you to be a nice guy. You kill everybody and you're so mean." Damon gave Stefan a second to mull this over and retort, but when he didn't Damon stood and said, "You're very hard to imitate. But, um, yeah…I'm done." Walking away, he called over his shoulder, "That's so like you, _Damon._ You always have to have the last word." Damon laughed at his own wit.

**Well, I hope you enjoyed this!(: Send me your reviews. :-)**


	33. Chapter 33

**ENJOY! :)**

That night, Stefan chose to call Elena. If Elena was in any immediate danger, she would tell him; or so he hoped.

* * *

Damon scanned the room, looking around for Elena's annoying Italiano ringtone. He finally found her cellphone and answered, "Elena's secretary speaking." He grinned at himself in the decretive fish mirror on the wall.

"Put Elena on." Stefan barked at Damon in irritation. With his ear ringing from Stefan talking so loudly, Damon held the phone away.

"Yeah… she can't talk to you right now…" Damon pictured Elena in the shower. He gloated, "You have a nice night now, bye bye." Damon hung up on Stefan.

* * *

"Ugh!" Stefan pulled at his hair.

"What's got you wound up so tight?" Katherine showed up behind Stefan, casually sipping blood from one of Damon's scotch glasses. Stefan rubbed his temples.

"Why are you here Katherine?" Stefan asked, sounding bored with her.

"Am I not welcome?" She asked like she didn't already know the answer.

"That part should be obvious." Stefan tossed his phone onto a cushion but it bounced off and hit the floor. Instead of picking it up, he flopped onto the couch and closed his eyes, deciding on resting instead of going to bed.

"Elena has run into some trouble," Katherine stated flatly. "and she doesn't even know it."

Stefan opened his eyes and raised an eyebrow. "Lies."

Katherine gritted her teeth. "I have no reason to lie to you, Stefan."

Stefan snorted but said nothing.

"Fine, don't listen," Katherine shook her head. "but you need me." Before Stefan could open his eyes, Katherine was gone. Staring into the blazing fire across from the couch, it dawned on Stefan that Katherine and Damon both seemed to know something about Elena that he didn't. He supposed it was his own fault, but he would deal with it in the morning. He let himself fall asleep on the couch.

Meanwhile, Bonnie and Caroline were having a sleepover. "I don't know what she wants from me!" Caroline exclaimed. "She won't talk to me!" Her voice level was rising immensely.

"Shh," Bonnie motioned for Caroline to quiet down, "You're being really loud." She laughed.

"Humph." Caroline pouted. "Bonnie, you're supposed to be helping me." She crossed her arms.

Bonnie sighed. "I don't know, Caroline." She fiddled with the zipper on her sleeping bag. "It's not Elena's thing to make a big deal about something unless it means a lot to her." The two girls made eye contact briefly. "You had Stefan helping you with your…vampire thing…" Bonnie held back a shudder. "But who has been helping Elena with _her_…vampire thing?" Bonnie threw her hands down exasperatedly.

"Damon…?" Caroline said uncertainly.

"The only reason we even know is because she _texted _it to me." Bonnie rolled onto her back so she was looking up at the ceiling.

Caroline did the same. "I know."

"Just give her time and everything will be ok." Bonnie looked over at Caroline, but Caroline was busy with her thoughts.

"That's what I told Stefan…" Caroline said in a hushed tone. "And now I need to make thing's right for the both of us…"

**I hope you liked it. :) Please send me your reviews.**


	34. Chapter 34

**I really hope y'all enjoy this chapter as much as I did while writing it!**

"Tell me how you're involved with werewolves." Damon was growing impatient with Tyler's unresponsiveness.

"Screw you, dude." Tyler was just as stubborn and cocky as Damon was.

"Dude? Really? Dude?" Damon raised his arms and shook his head. If Tyler wasn't going to answer his questions willingly, Damon would scare it out of him. When Damon turned his head away, Tyler became even more confused.

Damon turned his face back, emitting a scream from Tyler. Damon cackled. He let his face go back to normal. He was getting nowhere talking to this kid.

* * *

"Jenna, he loves you." Elena slammed her hands down on the counter. Jenna set down the knife she was using to chop up vegetables for spaghetti. She was a terrible cook but Elena probably wouldn't end up eating at home anyway. Jenna picked the knife back up to rinse it off. As she was turning the water on, the knife slipped out of her hand and made a shallow slice in her finger.

"Ouch." Jenna let the knife sit in the bottom of the sink while she ran warm water over her cut. The smell of blood made Elena feel crazier than ever. Her face started contorting on it's own. Elena turned her face away before Jenna could see.

Jenna caught Elena's speedy movement out of the corner of her eye. "What's gotten into you?" Jenna questioned.

"Nothing." Elena managed through clenched teeth.

* * *

Damon walked up Elena's front steps, planning on properly meeting her aunt Jenna, and maybe Elena's younger brother Jeremy. He first tried knocking, but when no one came to the door he became nervous. There was definitely someone inside, and he was sure he could smell Elena, _but then why was no one opening the door_? He tried the doorknob; it was unlocked. He slowly pushed the door fully open. He saw Elena facing away from her aunt, one hand on the counter and her eyes closed. Elena's fangs were visible but they were slowly reseeding into her gums. There were still black marking's all over her face, though. Damon stepped into the house, making Elena's head snap up. When she saw it was only Damon her head fell forward again and she looked like she might throw up. Damon rushed in and put a gentle hand at the base of Elena's neck. She was trying so hard not to become the beast right here in her kitchen that she was making herself sick.

"Damon…" She breathed. Damon nodded in understanding.

"Jenna," At the sound of her name, Jenna turned around and jumped when she saw Damon was the one who had said it, "I'm gonna take Elena upstairs to her room. It seems she doesn't feel well."

Jenna looked from Damon to Elena and back to Damon. "Is that true Elena?" Jenna watched Elena's head bob up and down. "Well alright." She didn't seem very convinced. "But you're not staying up there." Jenna was suddenly getting the hang of being a parent. Damon nodded. He brought Elena upstairs to her room where she could return to her human state, and then he came back down and offered to help Jenna cook dinner. In record time, he took over the cooking responsibilities and sent Jenna off to set the table and call Jeremy down from his room. While Jenna was getting Jeremy she let Elena know the food was done and she could come down when she was ready. Elena said she would. Fifteen minutes passed before Elena came down and took her seat next to Damon.

"So, what's going on with you two?" Jenna wasn't the type of person who pried, but she certainly was curious.

Without answering, Elena excused herself. Avoiding the question, Damon commented on the face Jeremy was making over the pickle on his plate. "Come on, you don't like pickles? What's wrong with you?" Jenna glared at him. _Riiiight, be nice to the family._ He would do well to remember that next time,that is if Jenna ever let him set foot in the house again. The idea of Jenna not allowing him through her front door wasn't the worst thing that could happen;he had grown accustomed to sneaking in Elena's window.

**Wasn't that a nice chapter? Haha, review please!**


	35. Chapter 35

**I hope you all enjoy this chapter, :-)!**

Elena tucked her shirt into itself and stood with her back to her window, letting the cool breeze touch her mostly-bare back. Just as she was dropping her shirt back down, Katherine appeared in front of her. Her entrance was flawless. _Wait… Jenna had to have invited her in…_ Elena groaned inwardly. _Great. _

"Elena, please let me talk." Katherine begged, pressing her hands together as if she were praying.

"Whatever." Elena took a seat on her bed. Katherine stayed put.

"Do you believe I'm your mother?" Katherine asked; the words seemed funny coming out of her mouth.

"I believe you gave birth to me, yes." Elena was calm.

Katherine nodded. "Good." The conversation didn't seem to be going anywhere.

"I'll have you know Katherine, this doesn't change how I feel about you." Elena didn't even blink. Katherine knew the feeling Elena talked about. _Hate. _Thankfully, Katherine was gone before Elena took another breath.

* * *

"When should I be expecting you to get caught?" Stefan eyed Damon.

"I never get caught." Damon replied nonchalantly. "But what exactly are we talking about here?" He looked back down at his newspaper.

"Really, Damon?" Stefan raised his eyebrows.

Damon lost his smirk. "Spit it out, Stefan."

"The girl." Stefan waited for realization to hit Damon.

"What-" Before Damon could finish his question he figured out what Stefan was talking about. "Oh, that." He tried to act like it didn't bother him, but Stefan could tell Damon wasn't proud of himself.

"Look, Damon, you've always been a monster…" Damon stared at Stefan in disbelief. "But you have to watch Elena's back." Damon didn't know where Stefan was going with this, but Damon didn't like being pitied in any way. "Sure, I hate that I was the last to know when Elena was leaving me…for you." Stefan fidgeted with his hands behind his back. "But you're still my brother…"

_Oy vey. _Damon palmed his forehead. "We are not having this 'brotherly-bonding' conversation." He stood up, letting the newspaper fall off his lap and into a heap on the floor. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a history teacher to chat with."

* * *

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm done looking at books." Elena laughed on the other end of the line. _Thanks Alaric. _"Don't thank me yet, I don't know if I've found anything useful." Alaric was modest. _The research is valuable, so please keep it locked up. _"Yeah, sure, no problem." _Ok, well thank you. _"Mhm, well I've got papers to grade so I'll see you later, Elena." He hung up the phone, and jumped when a man hopped up onto his desk and sat there. Alaric hastily shoved the papers he had in his hand into his safe and locked it up. "Oh, hey…Damon is it?" Alaric smiled nervously.

"Let's cut to the chase, shall we?" Damon swung his legs back and forth a few times before he jumped off the desk. "Who's Isobel?" Damon waited for an answer impatiently.

"What makes you think I'm going to tell you?" Alaric refused to be bullied.

"You _will_ tell me." Damon's pupils dilated.

Alaric laughed. "You can't compel me."

Damon was puzzled. He cocked his head to the side. "Hm." He strode over to Alaric. "That won't stop me from killing you." He lifted Alaric by his neck. Damon grinned into Alaric's eyes like a mountain lion pouncing on a deer.

Alaric choked out more laughter. "You can try."

Damon tossed him aside, annoyed. "Fine, if I can't compel you, I can't kill you, and you're helping Elena, then we might as well work as a team." Damon regretted the words as soon as they came out of his mouth.

Alaric was on his feet, rubbing his throat. He watched Damon with hatred. "Isobel is Elena's appointed 'mother'." Alaric said in a ragged voice. "And that means she is the only one who has the power to make the sacrifice."

"Define appointed mother…and sacrifice?" Damon couldn't be more confused. His head reeled.

"I'm not sure, the extent of the bond Elijah put on them is unknown" Alaric glared at Damon, "all I know is it's _your _fault." Alaric spat the words.

"Guess what, everyone hates me." Damon said nonchalantly. "But that doesn't make everything my fault."

"No, Damon, you're wrong. Everything _is _your fault." Alaric glared at him. "Isobel is Elena's appointed mother because she's a descendant of Katherine's who was turned into a vampire…" Damon needed Alaric to finish his sentence. "and _you're _the one who selfishly turned her." Damon's head felt like it might explode. "You not only took away my wife that night you _had _to feed, but you also took away any chance Elena had to be free." Alaric's chest heaved. "How do you feel now, badass?" Alaric shouldered past Damon who was dazing off into nothing. _Werewolves. Sacrifices. What was next, him dying playing the part of a hero? _

**:D. Let me know what y'all think! **


	36. Chapter 36

**I hope you all enjoy this chapter! :)**

The next day at school, Bonnie and Caroline walked up to Elena. Caroline had a smile plastered to her face. "I have to get to class." Elena made a feeble attempt at brushing by them, but Bonnie grabbed her arm.

"Elena," Bonnie's voice was stern, like a disapproving mother, "quit running from us." Now no one was smiling, real or fake.

"Running?" Anyone standing in hearing distance could tell Elena was angry. "I haven't been _running_, Bonnie." Now she was clenching her teeth, trying to keep herself steady. She didn't know what would happen if she lost control here. "Now if you don't mind, I'm going to be late to my class." Elena slipped between the two girls. Caroline and Bonnie watched her disappear around a corner at the end of the hall.

* * *

Damon was bored at home while Elena was at school; at least she was keeping him entertained with text messages.

"_Vampires can't procreate. We do love to try, though. ;) " _Damon was watching the clock until 1:45 when he could drive to the high school and pick up his _girlfriend. _They had made it official this morning when he stopped by to bring her a blood bag.

"_:P but umm Stefan is smiling at me…" _Elena texted back.

"_Woah, alert the media!" _Damon replied jokingly. He laughed to himself at his joke.

"_You're sooo funny." _Damon shrugged at Elena's response to his crack at Stefan. _Oh well, everyone couldn't have a sense of humor like him. _"_I hope you didn't forget tonight is the homecoming dance." _

"Dammit." Damon growled. He _had forgotten. _

Arriving at the dance, Damon scanned the room for any dangers. With no threats popping out at him, Damon's mind was at ease. He escorted Elena in like the gentleman no one had ever seen him be. He cleaned up nice in a black tux. Heads turned when he walked to the dance floor with Elena in tow.

Caroline and Stefan stood together at the punch table, observing Damon and Elena dancing. "They look so cute together." Caroline smiled approvingly.

"Please, don't talk." Stefan drawled.

Caroline gave him a dirty look. "Gosh, you sound like Damon." She went back to sipping her punch. Stefan ignored her.

When Elena was in the bathroom, Stefan went up to Damon. "What were you trying to warn me about before?" Stefan asking, holding onto Damon's sleeve.

"That's for me to know and for you to dot dot dot." Damon punctuated each 'dot' in the air with his pointer finger and smirked at the clueless Stefan. "BTW, that means by-the-way, quit gawking at Elena." Damon patted Stefan on the back and walked away with a big grin.

"Damon!" Stefan called after him. Damon stopped but didn't turn around. "I'm going to be seeing _a lot _of Elena." This made Damon whip around. He was an inch away from Stefan before anyone could see him move.

"What are you getting at little brother?" A low growl erupted from Damon's throat.

"She's captain of the cheerleading squad again." Stefan smiled. "And I joined the football team."

Damon faked peppiness, "That's so ra-ra-go team!" Damon did an enthusiastic fist pump and turned on his heel before Stefan could hold him up anymore.

**I hope this chapter was good :)!**


	37. Chapter 37

**I hope you all enjoy this chapter!**

"Look what we have here, the sarcastic vampire." Mason snickered with Jules in the background doing the same. Damon wasn't scared of two puppies. He joined in their laughter, but when he did, they stopped laughing altogether. Mason dove forward, faster than a human eye could have caught and stabbed a stake in between Damon's ribs. Damon howled in pain and yanked the stake out. It clattered to the ground, blood spraying from Damon's wound.

"This is John Varavatos, dude. Dick move." Damon examined the new hole in his leather jacket. Mason and Jules exchanged glances. _He shouldn't have healed so quickly, and been so calm about it. _Damon was making them nervous with his laid back attitude.

"Where's your girlfriend?" Mason asked, acquiring a cocky grin.

"Elsewhere." Damon was keeping Elena out of harm's way, even while she was a vampire. Damon blurred to Jules so he was only about five feet away. "Tell me what you want or you'll both die tonight." Damon wanted to tear them both limb from limb right there and then, but not without the information they held.

"No!" Mason stepped forward. Damon laughed at Mason's attempt to block Jules from him.

"It always comes down to the love of a women, doesn't it?" A pang of sadness struck Damon. Mason appeared not sure whether to be embarrassed or mad that Damon seemed to get that he loved Jules, even without her knowing. "I've been in love." Damon's eyes looked off into the distance, remembering Katherine. "It's painful, pointless and overrated." He left out all the feelings he had now because of Elena. It would do him no good to get mushy with people who wanted him dead. Besides, he didn't need them knowing how much he loved Elena; that would only provoke them to kill her slowly.

* * *

"Stefan, why do you taunt him?" Elena was angry with Stefan.

"Elena!" Stefan took Elena's hands in his. "Just please, listen!" He begged her, but it was no use. Elena took her hands out of his, and turned away hopelessly.

"Grow up, Stefan." Elena glared at Stefan and walked away.

From Stefan's, Elena went home to bed. Not only was she physically beat, she was also mentally tired. She kicked off her shoes and shed her t-shirt so she was lying on her stomach in a tank top and jeans. After approximately twenty minutes of lying awake, Elena finally fell asleep. When she awoke an hour later she was no longer in her bed, or anywhere she recognized. She lifted herself off the damp, hard earth and took a look around. _What the hell was going on?_ Elena touched her temples and hoped she was dreaming. After a while, Elena considered that maybe she was awake. _Weirder thing's have happened… sorta._Elena tried telling herself she would be OK. Without having to search, Elena spotted a person standing at the end of the long road she was on. She raced to whoever they were, taking in sharp breaths of the freezing air. The air itself seemed to have a watery, smoky taste.

"Hello, Elena." It was a women who greeted her.

"I don't know you…" Elena was more confused than she had been ten minutes ago. "How did I get here?" Elena looked around and suddenly felt very claustrophobic.

The women laughed. "I'm Isobel," Elena eyed the women, looking for more of an explanation, "I'm your mother." Elena felt light headed. _What? How could she have two mothers?_ Elena's heart hammered and her fingers were numb with cold.

"That can't be…" Elena was confused and scared. This women was claiming to be her mother, and she had somehow gotten Elena here without waking her up. _What in the world was going on…?_

**Cliff hanger? Definitely! :)**


	38. Chapter 38

**This chapter is gonna make a few of you reading this either really happy or really mad! Ha :D**

Damon made his way to the bar, unnerved by Elena's avoidance of his text messages and calls. He was planning on stopping by her house to see what was up. A women, who also happened to be a vampire, was already at the bar with a buzz. Damon startled her when he sat down. Damon simply nodded at her and ordered a drink from the bartender.

"What brings you to Mystic Falls?" Damon asked, sipping his scotch. The women had an accent, and her words were beginning to slur together from the alcohol.

"I'm looking for my friend," She looked at Damon with a pretty face. "maybe you've seen him. His name is Trevor." Damon shook his head. "Ahh, I see." The women went back to her drink.

"What problem are you drinking away?" Damon took a big gulp out of his glass. "Other than looking for your friend?" He swiveled in his stool. "And I didn't catch your name." He smirked.

The women laughed. "Cuz I didn't give it." She waved over the bartender and ordered a martini. She turned her entire body to face Damon. She stuck her hand out and smiled. "Rose." The name coming off her tongue was almost as sweet as the flower. "And I've been running for as long as you've been alive." She snorted and turned her body away grimly.

Damon raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah?" Damon stifled a laugh. Rose looked too pretty to be running from anything, _maybe she was just drunk._ "From what?"

Rose touched her nose and glanced at Damon from the corner of her eye, bringing her voice down to a whisper quieter than any human's hearing, "Katerina Petrova. "

Damon choked and sputtered on his drink. He slammed his glass down, receiving glances from other people, and bore his eyes into the side of Rose's face. "What?" His forehead wrinkled.

"She betrayed me and Trevor." Rose took a swig of her drink before she clumsily slid off her bar stool. "Well, I've got nowhere to go, but I better be heading out." She gave Damon a small smile, then turned her back to him.

"I can keep you safe." Damon spoke up with his eyes set on his hands. "You can come stay with me." He thought about what Elena's reaction would be. She would probably complain about how she didn't want any girls shacking up with him, but he wasn't going to let this women slip away after what he had just heard her say.

"Swear to me," Rose remained facing away, "that come tomorrow we will still be friends." Her voice had changed to that of a young girl who was afraid.

Damon swallowed his mixed emotions and said, "Yes, I promise." Damon didn't have friends. He had Stefan. And then he had Elena. But he never had a real friend before. He couldn't be sure this was real. "Come on, I'll take you home." Damon helped Rose to his car, with her smiling at him all the way.

"Home." She breathed. Her smile grew. Rose had a home and Damon had a friend. It was all new to both of them.

**Honestly, I can't wait to write the next chapter, Haha! This one was so fun. :) Send me your reviews.**


	39. Chapter 39

**I hope you thoroughly enjoy this fight-scene!**

Elena's eyebrows lifted in recognition when the strange man and women from the time her and Damon played pool at The Grille stood by Isobel's side now. Elena shifted her weight off her back foot so she was ready for anything that was surely about to happen. She bared her fangs at them. She had never felt so ready before; it felt good, almost freeing. "Who are they?" Elena nodded to the mysterious people.

"They're…" Isobel smiled secretively, "friends of mine." Now she was sharing a smile with them.

"Why are they here?" Elena's energy was dropping as she grew more confused. "Why am _I _here?" She waited for an answer.

Isobel laughed. "Impatient, hm?"

A threatening growl erupted from behind Elena and in a flash, Isobel was underneath Damon. The corner's of his mouth were pulled down in disgust. "Hello, Isobel." He said less than friendly.

Isobel tried moving Damon off of her, but was unsuccessful. "Jules, help me!" Isobel had no problem killing Damon. She knew exactly who he was and what he was to Elena.

"Gladly." Jules' smile didn't reach her eyes and her temples didn't crinkle like they would have if she was smiling out of joy. Damon let go of Isobel before Jules could phase. These werewolves were apparently an exception to the rules. Werewolves were suppose to only be able to transform on a full moon. Jules' jaws clamped down on empty air where Damon had been moment's before.

"Be careful you fool!" Isobel shouted at the werewolf who had nearly bitten her.

Jules turned an angry mussel on Isobel. Isobel stared back, and barked another order, "Defend me or die." Jules had a hard time listening, but she obeyed. "Mason." Isobel nodded at the man. The whole time this was happening, Elena was staring wide-eyed at Damon. Damon was now in a face off with Mason. Next, Elena did what Damon didn't want her to do. She flew into action, knocking Mason backwards. Within a split second, he was back up and angrier.

"Little girl's should listen to their mommy's." He growled at Elena.

Elena flicked her hair over her shoulder and rolled her eyes. "Dogs shouldn't be so wild." Elena smirked and didn't take her eyes off of Mason. "Or they might find themselves in trouble." She was openly threatening him. He didn't like it. Jules came after Elena and Elena was ready. She sank her fangs down into Jules' ribs. The snapping of many ribs was audible over everyone's growls. Elena flung Jules to the side. Jules was whimpering on the ground and of course this struck a nerve in Mason. All his blood pumped out to his legs and he moved faster than he ever had before. He lunged for Elena's throat, but Damon got in the way, and instead he bit into Damon's shoulder. Elena watched two bullets from a gun Isobel held, fly through the air.

"No!" Elena shrieked. She wasn't able to stop the bullets before they lodged themselves into Damon's chest. The last thing Damon saw before he passed into the darkness was Rose's image on the sidelines, quickly disappearing from the scene. She was running…like she always had.

While Damon was under, Elena had her own battle with Mason. She sprung at him and tackled him so that they were rolling around on the ground for some time before any more blood was shed. He raked claws down her back, but this was not lethal. Elena made her final action. She held Mason's back legs with her strong arms and broke them easily. Then, she ripped through his fur and skin to yank his heart out. She ignored both Isobel and Jules while she went to Damon and lifted him up onto her shoulder in the firefighter hold. She glanced at them once before she took off and found her way to the Salvatore boarding house where Rose had already taken refuge.

**WARNING-Upcoming chapters: they WILL shock you. ;) **


	40. Chapter 40

**ENJOY!**

Arriving at the Salvatore house, Elena received an angry text from her aunt Jenna. _'Come home, we have to talk.'_

Elena grumbled. She couldn't talk right now. Elena lay Damon on the couch. He was waking up, finally. Elena sat next to him, and found her shirt layered in her own blood and Damon's mixed.

"Oh, don't get blood on the couch please." Damon's lips formed a grimace that was meant to be a smile.

Elena's phone was ringing on the coffee table. Elena picked it up and answered in agitation. "Hello?"

"_Elena, where are you?" _Jenna was angry of course; Elena had disappeared.

"I can't talk right now, Jenna." Elena's eyes watched Damon without blinking.

"_Elena, it's about Stefan and Caroline…" _Jenna said with a sad sigh.

"What about them?" Now Elena was worried.

"_They left, Elena." _Jenna's voice was soft and sincerely sorry.

"What do you mean they _left?" _Elena was upset, even if she didn't know if it was out of anger or sadness.

"_It was strange… they stopped by together and said they were leaving town." _Jenna paused, but when Elena didn't fill the silence she continued. "_I don't know for how long, but you need to get your butt home Elena. You have a lot of explaining to do." _Elena knew that once she got home all she would have to do was compel her aunt to forget everything.

"Ok." Elena pretended to agree. She ended the call and went back to Damon.

Rose walked in casually, like she hadn't run from the fight. Elena looked between her and Damon, not knowing who she was.

"Elena, this is Rose." Damon said weakly. Elena nodded slowly at Rose and Rose gave a small wave back.

"Was he bitten?" Rose asked, coming closer to Elena and Damon.

Elena nodded again, "Yes."

Rose backed up. "No…" Her hands started to tremble. "No." She looked like she wanted to hide, but something held her in her spot.

"What?" Elena's exasperation was evident.

"He's going to die." Rose's expression and tone was morbid.

Elena didn't know how to respond. Damon's eyes were closed. He may or may not have been conscious. "Isn't there a cure?" Elena demanded a positive answer.

"Just one." Rose fiddled with the straps of her shirt. "Drive a stake through his heart." Her eyes shot up to meet Elena's.

Elena's mouth was hanging open and her head was shaking in defiance. "No, there has to be another way."

"Death is better than him losing his mind and becoming rabid." Rose spoke quietly, scared of the words themselves.

Elena's misty eyes fell on Damon. She couldn't lose him. She wouldn't. She dialed Alaric's number.

"Hey, Alaric?" She listened for a man's voice on the other end.

"_Yeah, hey Elena, what's up?" _Alaric wasn't used to Elena calling him regularly.

"Find me a cure for a werewolf bite." Elena's voice had become monotone with her shock.

Alaric cleared his throat. _"There's only two, Elena." _He paused, letting her get ready for the knowledge he was about to share. "_The victim either has to be staked, therefore it's not really much of a cure, or…" _Alaric trailed off.

"Or what, Alaric?" Elena spoke frantically.

"_Or the sacrifice has to be made." _Alaric shouldn't have told Elena and he knew that.

"And by sacrifice, you mean me…" Elena somehow knew exactly what was going on, even though no one had filled her in on the missing pieces.

"_Yes…" _Alaric wished it wasn't true. He wanted there to be more hope for Elena, but there wasn't.

"Who is able to make the sacrifice?" Elena asked.

"_Isobel…" _Alaric answered.

"Thank you." Elena hung up before Alaric could say goodbye. Elena knew what she must do.

* * *

"Well, hello Elena." Isobel was now alone. She was sitting in a lounge chair.

"I will give myself up if you make a deal with me." Elena licked her lips.

"You're in no position to negotiate." Isobel crossed her legs.

"If you don't make the sacrifice, I will make it for you, except it will be useless. Won't it?" Elena threatened.

Isobel lost her smile. "You're bluffing."

"Are you willing to find out?" Elena didn't have time to be arguing with anyone. Damon had already tried attacking Rose once while Elena had been gone. Rose had sent Elena a scared text message from Damon's phone.

Isobel uncrossed her leg's, then stood. She threw her shoulders back, giving the illusion it was really she who was in charge. Elena didn't move away when Isobel stepped towards her. She didn't fight back or even struggle against Isobel's cold hands.

"I love you, Damon." Elena's eyes shut against Isobel's face, and tears flowed out from under her lashes. Isobel twisted Elena's neck quickly, snapping it. Then, for good measure she found a sharp piece of wood and dove it into Elena's chest. Any life left in a vampire, left Elena all at once. The sacrifice had been made.

**Ugh-oh! :O Haha, get ready for the next chapter. :D**


	41. Chapter 41

**You all ready for this? Keep dreaming, cuz no you're not.**

Damon gasped for breath, falling back on the couch. He felt extremely light headed for some odd reason. His ears perked up at a sound he recognized. A women was cowering in the corner of the room. Damon growled.

* * *

Isobel left Elena's body where it lay. But it was more than just a body within a few hours. Elena's heart started pumping slowly at first, then grew more powerful as the rest of her body came alive. Before she opened her eyes, she thought that maybe she had woken up in some sort of vampire afterlife, but upon her eyes opening she noticed thing's were different. She didn't feel the surge of power she did when she had turned into a vampire. Her fangs didn't present themselves. She put her fingertips to her gums. There was no evidence there had _ever _been anything more than teeth there before. She felt a jumble of confusion and fear, setting her energy on haywire.

* * *

"I like you and your laugh." Damon laughed with Rose. They had Stefan's diaries spread out in front of them. "It's very Emerson how he reveals his soul. He uses so many adjectives."

"Damon, what about Elena?" Rose finally brought up the subject that had been on her mind since Damon's miraculous recovery. His bite mark was gone and she had no idea how it was so.

Damon looked up, "What about her?"

Rose bit her lip, "You're in love with her."

Damon raised his eyebrows before he broke into hysterical laughter. "I've been in love. It's painful, pointless, and overrated." It felt like dazhavu. But he dismissed it and thought about Katherine.

"Are you talking about Katrina Petrova?" Rose curled her finger's into her palm's.

"Yes, I'm going to release her from the tomb." Damon scowled at nothing. "I've waited long enough." He stirred his blood smoothie with his bendy straw, the fact that he had previously released Katherine unknown in his mind.

* * *

Elena knocked on Damon's front door. She hoped he was ok. She had no clue how sacrificing herself would help vampires, or how it would help cure a werewolf bite, but she hoped it was worth it.

Rose met her at the door. "Elena…" Rose didn't look _un_happy to see her, just not thrilled.

"Can I come in?" Elena slid past Rose warily and made her way into the living room. Damon was sitting on the floor shirtless, sipping a beverage. "Damon." A huge smile broke across her face. She ran forward but Damon blurred to the other side of the room before she was able to hug him.

"What are you doing?" He hissed.

Elena was taken aback. "Damon, what's wrong?" She stood in the middle of the floor, feeling stupid.

"Why are you here, Elena?" Damon asked, like Elena had never been there before. "Stefan isn't here."

"I'm not looking for Stefan…" Damon didn't respond and Elena didn't see a use in trying to get through to him. It was obvious the sacrifice had altered his feelings for her. Being reborn as a human with the love of her life ripped away, was not ideal.

Elena made her way home, not caring about the consequences she would have to deal with once she got there.

**Dun dun dun. Oh snap! Lol**


	42. Chapter 42

**I hope you enjoy this chapter. -kyouluva**

A week passed and nothing new occurred, until Rose paid Elena a visit. Elena heard voices downstairs. She could only hear bits and pieces, but even so Elena could tell Aunt Jenna was inviting someone in, and in this town you couldn't be sure _what _it was that you were inviting in.

Rose met Elena in her doorway, with a half hearted smile. "Hello, Elena."

"Rose?" Elena was confused as to why Rose was in her house. Elena backed into her room with Rose pressing forward.

"You're ungrounded." Rose kept her half hearted smile plastered on her face while she tried to break the ice. Elena returned the grim smile. Rose sighed and dove into the reason she was there. "Look, Elena," She didn't fidget like Elena was now. "I hate to be the one who has to drop the bomb, but me and Damon…" Elena's heart dropped when Rose paused. "we're going away…" Elena didn't feel grateful Rose was here telling her this. Her feelings at that moment could only be described as abominable. Rose bowed her head in what seemed to be an apology, and retreated out of Elena's room. Elena didn't call after her; she didn't thank her, she simply stood motionless. No tears came.

Elena knew that by the end of the day, Damon and Rose would be gone. There was no stopping that, and there was no way she could bring Caroline and Stefan back from wherever they had taken off to.

* * *

"What's with you?" Damon asked Rose, who was biting her lip.

Rose looked up, "Oh nothing." She responded, continuing to chew her lip until little droplets of blood appeared and she licked them away.

Damon blurred to her, his eyes staring down into hers, looking for an answer. "You're lying."

Rose shoved him back with one hand. "Damon, go take a walk." Her mood was dismal.

"Why?" Damon wasn't the type to just _take a walk._ He was a man who did things with a purpose. Rose shook her head, meaning she wasn't going to explain. Damon sighed, "Fine." A half an hour later he found himself wandering around in the woods where his brother used to hunt. "Katherine?" His sight zoomed in on Katherine. _No, wait, it couldn't be Katherine. _He shook his head, _it was just Elena. _But what was Elena doing wandering in the woods? Didn't she know it was dangerous? "Have you been eating bunnies?" Damon asked, hoping to get an answer that would confirm it was Elena he was talking to.

"Cocky much?"

"_Very _much." Damon still wasn't sure it was Elena speaking. "So, what are you doing out here?" He looked around, uncomfortable.

"I'm not sure…I guess I just feel lost." Damon could feel the difference now, this was Elena; he was positive.

**Send me your reviews!(:**


	43. Chapter 43

**Hope you all enjoy! :)**

All of a sudden, Katherine appeared beside Elena. Now Damon was completely lost. "Wait a second…" He raised his finger. "How the hell is this possible?" He looked back and forth between Elena and Katherine. Katherine was still supposed to be locked away in the tomb. He pointed first at Elena, "Ok, you're Elena, Stefan's girlfriend."

Elena shook her head, "Damon, you know me." Her voice was pleading with him to remember.

"And what the hell are you doing out of the tomb?" Damon asked Katherine with an edge.

"You released me, Damon." Katherine and Elena exchanged glances. Elena still didn't like Katherine, but she had accepted the fact that she existed and was actually her mother.

"This is what I get for being immortal…" Damon covered his eyes briefly with his hand.

"You're dead dude, get over it." Katherine stepped closer to him.

"Oh _shut up_, Katherine. Damn." He growled detestably. "You know what, I'm just gonna walk away and pretend none of this happened, ok?" Damon turned on his heel, prepared to leave them.

"Damon, you're so glib and arrogant!" Elena shouted at his back.

Damon turned back around to face her. "How can someone be _so _brave but yet be _so _stupid?" Damon's mouth twitched. "Watch out who you're calling names, Elena." He pressed his face close to hers, so she could feel his breath on her lips.

"If you wanted me dead Damon, I would be dead." Elena spoke evenly, unafraid of Damon.

"Yes, you would be." Damon sneered.

"But I'm not…" Elena raised an eyebrow in question.

"Yet." Damon scowled down at her before turning away and disappearing into the woods. Katherine vanished a split second after him.

Elena crumpled to the ground, howling in mental agony. She was tired of pretending to be strong. "I hate you, Damon!" She yelled loudly, for all the forest animals to hear.

* * *

Damon was nearly home when Rose caught up to him. She had been trailing him for quite some time without him being aware.

"Damon," She called his name into the wind at his back. "Why are you walking away?" Damon stopped in his tracks. "You must be realizing now that I was right, you _do _love Elena." Rose didn't feel hurt. She had been expecting this from the start. "It's just as I said it was."

"Look, Rose," Damon turned to face Rose. "I don't love anyone, and I don't take sides." Rose kept her mouth in a straight, thin line. "If this _Isobel _really shot me, then the little bitch is gonna get it…. but that's it. All I do is death." Damon turned away but Rose quickly grabbed his arm with a strong hand.

"That's the old you, Damon." Rose needed thing's to start clicking in Damon's head, if not she was going to get very angry. "Calling you a killer now is like saying Tinkerbelle was dangerous. The only thing the little pixie knew how to do was tattle, and that's not you. You aren't a rat."

"You were so much more fun when you were laughing." Damon's voice came out disappointed.

Rose gave him a dirty look and shook her head. "You're to blame. You did this."

Damon raised an eyebrow in question. "What exactly did I do?"

"It's all your fault." Rose bared her teeth in frustration. She clenched her fists. "You need to remember how you felt. Elena's going to slip away and you're not even going to know what you lost."

"Humph." Damon chortled. "How very touching." Damon smirked. "Now would you like me to imitate a violin?" He cocked his head to the side and played a pretend violin in the air. Rose's jaw clenched and Damon noticed. He sighed and rolled his eyes, "Rose, you're confusing me for someone who has remorse." When Rose couldn't think of anything to come back at Damon with, he stalked away.

* * *

Katherine waited for Damon to come home. She didn't have long to wait. "Damon!" She called his name when she heard him coming through the front door. Damon blurred to her, looking like he might throw her up against a wall and slice her throat open. "Isobel _will_ come back for Elena." Katherine stared Damon down. "She will turn Elena herself if she has to." Katherine stood and walked aimlessly around the room.

"What nonsense are you talking?" Damon scoffed.

Katherine put an impatient hand to her forehead. She sighed exasperatedly. "If you don't protect Elena, she'll become a vampire again and then Isobel can make the sacrifice again; this time though, Elena won't live and the curse will be broken."

Damon blurred to Katherine, and pinned her backwards onto a counter.

"Hey, don't kill the messenger!" Katherine wasn't really afraid of Damon.

"I _do _believe in killing the messenger." He snarled. "You know why?" He showed his fangs. "Because it sends a message." He let Katherine up. "And why would I protect Elena? She means nothing to me." He walked to the couch and sat down.

"You're not going to kill her." Katherine stated simply with her hand on her hip.

"Watch me." Damon got up and poured himself a scotch.

Katherine shook her head, "No, Damon." She didn't believe him for a minute.

"Fine, I _will _protect Elena." Damon looked up from his drink and made eye contact with Katherine. "But not because I love her." He left it at that. Katherine was satisfied. For now.

**Interesting enough? :D Well let me know what you think.**


	44. Chapter 44

**Please enjoy!**

Elena was home alone when she heard the doorbell ring that night. She went downstairs and before she could even touch the doorknob, the door flung open. "May I come in?" Damon was standing in front of Elena, putting her in a minor state of shock. "Oh wait, of course I can." Damon stepped past Elena, looking first uncertain and then confused, as if he were expecting not to be able to cross the threshold. This pained Elena. He really didn't remember anything. Elena shut the door behind them, and walked into the living room. They both stood there in silence, too uncomfortable to meet each other's eyes. Elena flinched when Damon's sleeve rustled. "You're afraid of me." Damon was slightly hurt by this and he couldn't put a finger on why. "I'm not gonna kill you…right now." He had to add the 'right now' or he would have felt pathetic. "It wouldn't serve my greater agenda if I did." Damon casually took a seat on the couch. "Oh, and a tip for later." Damon nodded toward the door. "Be careful about who you're inviting in." He smirked, then let his face fall back down to a frown. Elena cleared her throat. "So, I heard about this Isobel chick."

Elena nodded. "Yeah…"

"She needs you for something… well if anyone's gonna kill you, it will be me." Elena held back a smile. He was making her feel better without even trying. Damon looked down at his phone. He had a text message from Rose. "Well, it looks like you're not leaving here anytime soon." He smiled knowingly.

Elena was highly confused. "Umm… what?" Her legs were almost touching Damon's knees now. Damon then went into explaining that Isobel was on the prowl and the only way Elena would be safe is if she was with him since Stefan was nowhere to be found. Damon finally decided on taking Elena back to the Salvatore house and staying there. He brought her up to Stefan's room and let her stay in there.

The next day, they kept each other company in the lonely house. Later in the day, Elena took a nap and when she was making her way out of Stefan's bedroom, she heard Damon talking to Rose. "She's been cooped up in Stefan's room all day, she isn't Anne Frank!"

Elena crept to the top of the stairs, out of Damon and Rose's view. "It's too dangerous, Damon." Rose replied to him in her accent.

"It's just the front yard… it's not like I'm taking her to Disneyworld." Elena knew Damon would be rolling his eyes.

She laughed to herself and this got the vampire's attention. She stopped laughing and cleared her throat uncomfortably. "Ugh, my bad." She blushed.

Since Rose wasn't budging on allowing Damon to take Elena outside for her own protection, he went up to his room and read.

"He's ridiculously hot." Elena breathed.

Rose cracked up laughing. "Agreed."

"But he's an ass."

"True." Rose nodded and kept laughing, snorting occasionally, which sent the girls into more uproarious laughter. Elena continued to laugh, her cheeks aching after a while.

**I hope you all liked this chapter :D!**


	45. Chapter 45

**This is a short chapter, but I hope you like it all the same :D**

Katherine climbed in through Damon's bedroom window as he lay on his bed, reading Call of the Wild. "Damon."

Damon looked up briefly, then back down at his book. "What, Katherine?" For some reason he didn't want her the way he used to.

"You're acting stupid." She said blandly.

"Naw, you're the only stupid thing I see." Damon peered over his book. He didn't give her a cocky grin like he usually did. "Shallow and useless." Damon went back to reading.

Katherine grabbed the book out of his hands and tossed it across the room. Damon was pissed. "Don't forget who taught you to play this game: me." Katherine loathed Damon for the moment. "Stefan's coming back." Katherine sat down, folding her hands into her lap.

Damon fell back onto his bed. All the air sighed out of him as the springs bounced him up then back down. "So what?" Damon turned onto his side so Katherine couldn't see his face.

"Damon, I know you'll figure everything out soon." Katherine was devoid of emotion. "I can tell you're already beginning to see things for what they are." Katherine was almost ready to leave. "Just know that I never compelled you, Damon." _Why was she telling him this?_ "You knew everything then, it was real." Damon could tell she was standing now. "Don't let Elena turn out the way you did." Katherine's insult didn't sting Damon the way it should have. Before Damon could turn around, Katherine was gone. All that was left was the ruffling of the curtains.

* * *

"Rose!" Elena howled in pain. She gripped her head like her skull was on fire.

"Elena, what is it?" Rose was frantic; she didn't understand what was happening to Elena.

"What's going on?" Damon flew down the last few steps to reach Elena's side. He wanted to lend her a soothing hand, but his hand had never been one to sooth. He retracted his hand before it touched her arm. His heart was hammering.

"I don't know what's wrong with her." Rose kept shaking her head.

**Loved it? I hope so!**


	46. Chapter 46

**Well, I really hope you enjoy this chapter because it was one of my favorite's to write. :D**

A loud crashing noise got the attention of Damon and Rose. They exchanged quick glances before rushing to where the noise had come from. The front door was smashed down, with Katherine lying limp on the floor. Damon's eyes were wild. _What the hell was going on around here?_

Rose knelt down to help Katherine. She looked up at Damon. "Damon, what's happening?" Damon could feel how scared she was. Everything was happening so fast.

Damon ignored her question and stared down at Katherine. "Katherine, get up." His tone wasn't harsh, but he was definitely not being sympathetic. His concern was not for her, but for Elena who was in the living room, still screaming out in agony.

Katherine looked up with half closed eyes. "She's here." Her head fell back down to smack against the hardwood floor. She groaned.

"Get her up." Damon ordered Rose, nodding at Katherine. He had to protect Elena right now. Rose bent at the knees and hauled Katherine over her shoulder.

Katherine moaned and her eyes flickered over Damon. "If she means a lot to you, have faith in your power." Katherine's voice was fading. "And in hers." Damon was beginning to shake. Adrenaline was about to control everything he did.

"Elena," Damon called to Elena as he jogged lightly towards the living room. "Sweetie, I need you to tell me what's wrong." He knelt in front of Elena, trying to get her to talk to him. She kept screaming, but he knew she was trying to get through to him.

"Damon!" Hearing his name being screamed in so much pain tore right through him. He wanted to crush her pain. He clenched his teeth and balled his hands into fists. He hated not being able to do anything. He stood and held Elena to his chest. She was safest with him.

"I'm gonna make it go away, Elena." Damon promised. Elena didn't feel the happiness she normally did when Damon hugged her. She only felt the fire spreading through her brain. It was like her head was splitting in half. She couldn't help but feel like she was going crazy. She wished she could go back to pretending like everything was alright.

All of a sudden, Damon felt Elena pull away from him and she started running. Shock kept him pinned where he was. He realized too late that Elena was headed straight for the front door. _Fuck._ He was going to put himself between her and the outside world, but somehow she beat him outside. He was thoroughly confused. There was no way she was faster than him… he had seen her running.

"Elena?" He called in confusion. "Get your ass inside before I throw you over my shoulder and carry you in myself." Damon growled like he was talking to a child. Elena didn't even act like she heard him. She slowed down to a fast walk and continued even when Damon put a hand on her arm. She jerked away from him as she pressed on. Damon blurred in front of her, walking backwards. Elena looked like she was possessed, but at least she wasn't screaming anymore. "Elena, stop." Damon didn't know what to do. He grabbed both of her shoulders to try to get her to stand still.

"I have to do this." Elena stopped shortly, then moved on when Damon let go of her. He didn't know what made him let her go; maybe she was just very convincing. Damon's eyes followed Elena as she walked on. He almost panicked when Isobel showed herself at the edge of the trees.

"Well, well." Isobel ignored Elena while she came about six feet from Damon. "I wasn't expecting to see you again." She waved her hand like it didn't matter either way. "You know," Isobel turned to Elena now. "you should be dead." She bared her teeth angrily as she blurred to her. She gave a hard blow to the side of Elena's face. Elena was stubborn and didn't let it move her. Without another thought, Damon was pulling Isobel away. "I shouldn't have to wear this ring to walk in the sun!" Isobel spat. "Vampires are captures in their own prison's!" Isobel was shaking with fury and Damon knew she was about to erupt. "I'm going to kill you all over again!" Isobel wriggled free of Damon's hold on her and went straight for Elena. Elena skidded against the wet grass on her back with Isobel on top of her. Damon was at Isobel's back, trying desperately to pull her off Elena when Elena's face broke into jagged black lines as if she were changing into vampire-mode. Isobel's grip on her slacked in surprise and Damon jumped back. _Shit, thing's were screwy. _Elena wasn't even aware of what was happening to her. The only thing she understood at the moment was that Isobel was trying to kill her and she wasn't going to allow that to happen.

"She can take her, Damon!" Katherine yelled from a window upstairs.

Damon stared at Elena for a long time before turning his head up to Katherine, "If you're lying, I'll end you." He threatened. Damon was starting to believe Katherine, though. Elena did look like she knew what she was doing. Not a moment later, Isobel was flying through the air. Elena was on her feet with dagger-like fangs protruding from her mouth. Elena glanced over at Damon, their confusion at an equally high level. Isobel was back up before Elena knew it. They were circling each other like lions ready to pounce. Elena made the first move. She battered Isobel's hands away as she sank her fang's deep into Isobel's throat. Elena's whole face was buried in Isobel's pale neck. All Damon could do was watch. Elena shoved Isobel's more than lifeless body down and looked at Damon with her face covered in blood. "Damn, you're strong for a little thing." Damon was impressed with whatever it was Elena had just done. Elena's fangs disappeared into her gums, and she looked like she was ready to drop. Damon went to her and put a strong arm high up on her waist. "What do you know, this is an interesting turn of events." He laughed.

**Are you ready for what comes next?**


	47. Chapter 47

**I hope you enjoy this chapter! :D**

Stefan kissed Caroline goodbye and made his way home where Elena, Damon, Rose and Katherine were all playing a game of cards and talking about how badass Elena was. "Umm…" Stefan stopped short when he walked into the living room to find them all laughing at a small card table in front of the fire. "Did I miss something?"

"Oh hey, Stefan." Elena smiled and waved enthusiastically while everyone else kept their eyes on their hand of cards.

"Damon, you're still here?" Stefan was enjoying his relationship with Caroline, but it still didn't feel right for his brother to be with Elena.

"Yes, _brother." _Damon hadn't caught on that Stefan thought he and Elena was together. "I like my life in Mystic Falls." He threw down his cards. "I win again." He smirked at everyone when they groaned. "This place feels like home, like the good old days." He said to Stefan with a smirk.

"Oh give me a break." Stefan barked. "I'm not in the mood."

"Why not?" Damon badgered. "I'm always in the mood to antagonize you." He bit back a laugh, and settled for a big grin.

"Piss off, Damon." Stefan didn't need Damon's games. Next he looked at Elena. "You wanna let yourself get killed? Cuz this idiot will see to it!" Stefan didn't know where all his anger was coming from. "Well that's tragic, not heroic, Elena!" Stefan shook his head and stalked away. Everyone at the card table exchanged glances before they burst out laughing.

"Where did that come from?" Rose hiccupped as she finished laughing.

"That's Stefan for ya," Damon dealt the next game. "Always with the adjectives." Everyone laughed again, but Rose was the only one who knew just what Damon was talking about. After Damon won the next game as well, he stood up and stretched his legs. "I'm gonna sit this one out." He ventured upstairs to Stefan's room where he lightly pushed the door open. "Hey." He nodded at Stefan in greeting.

"Hi." Stefan wasn't enthused to see Damon.

"What's with you?" Damon crossed his arms. "You take off with conceited vampire-girl, then you come back and you already wanna rip my head off."

Stefan ignored Damon's stab at Caroline. _She wasn't conceited for his information. _"I hear you're Elena's official protector now. What does that mean?" Stefan met Damon's gaze for a moment.

Damon didn't know where Stefan had heard this, but he put it to the back of his mind. "It means I care, Stefan." He was relaxed, oddly enough. "It means I've evolved into a man capable of greatness." Damon never thought that was possible until the words escaped his lips.

"Don't blink, cuz she won't miss you at all." Stefan closed his eyes. "You're just a puppet in the palm of her hand." Stefan didn't mean it; truth was, he missed Elena.

"Don't push me, Stefan." Damon was irritated but was keeping his voice even. "And stop being dramatic." He left Stefan to dwell on whatever it was he had on his mind that was making him so snappy.

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	48. Chapter 48

**I hope you enjoy! :).**

Stefan eyed the bags of human blood in the basement where Damon stored them. He was hungry and he hadn't tasted human blood in so long. He decided it was time to give it a try. He took one of the squishy plastic bags out of the cooler and stuck a yellow bendy straw through. He sucked the bag dry, tossed it aside and drained another. Clearing any traces of blood off himself, Stefan made his way back upstairs. Katherine was asleep on the couch and Elena was propped up in a reclining chair. She could sense the difference in Stefan.

"Hey, Elena." He walked by her.

* * *

"Damon, I'm telling you, something's up." Elena was trying to convince Damon that Stefan was up to something.

"Stefan? Up to something?" Damon shook his head. "Not likely."

Elena stamped her foot like she was taking a temper tantrum. "I'm serious!"

Damon gave Elena the 'are-you-kidding-me' look. "Alright, fine." Damon put down his newspaper. "What would you have me do?"

"Thank you," Elena nodded. "Just check on him."

"_Ok_, Elena." Damon huffed.

* * *

What Damon saw Stefan doing when he was checking up on him, proved Elena correct. Damon watched Stefan wide eyed. Stefan was crouched over a teenage girl, sucking blood from her neck. Damon rushed to Stefan and tossed him off the girl. The girl wasn't dead yet, so Damon erased her memory of the attack, wiped her blood away with the corner of his black shirt, and sent her on her way. Then he turned to Stefan, "What the hell are you doing?" He was more than angry that Stefan was being so careless. "You're lucky no one saw you!" Damon looked around, paranoid. Stefan licked his lips, looking like he was in heaven.

"Chill, Damon." Stefan shouldered by him. "I was hungry. I'm cool now." Damon shook his head in disbelief. _You have got to be kidding me. Since when was Damon the responsible brother?_

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	49. Chapter 49

**Hope y'all enjoy!**

Two weeks later, Stefan was off the human blood and back to his normal self. He was taking Caroline on dates, taking Damon's bull crap and exercising nonstop.

* * *

"What's the matter?" Elena asked Damon, hopping up onto the kitchen counter.

"Stefan's back to being boring." Damon sighed. "You've successfully cured him of anything that was interesting about his personality."

Elena raised an eyebrow. "Don't forget who helped me."

Damon stared straight into Elena's eyes, "I hate myself."

* * *

"This is all new to me, this football stuff." Stefan lied. "I usually keep to myself," That part was true. "I don't always fit in." He pulled on his football jersey. It was his first football practice of the season.

"That's because you're _that_ guy." Matt didn't care too much for Stefan. Both of them being Elena's ex was kind of awkward.

"What guy?" Stefan wasn't positive what Matt meant. He was pretty sure it wasn't a compliment, though.

"The guy who seems like he's got everything, so the people who don't have much just run the other way." Matt wasn't one of these people. He may not have grown up with much money since his mom was an alcoholic, but he stood up for himself.

"Is that really what I seem like?" Stefan was laughing on the inside at what Matt thought of him.

"Pretty much." Matt didn't care if Stefan liked him or not. The only reason they were even talking was because Matt was the team's captain and Stefan was the new guy.

"Hmm, what a dick." Stefan referenced himself with a smirk. Even Matt couldn't help laughing. He slapped Stefan on the back.

"Let's get out there." They pulled on their helmets and made their way out onto the field.

* * *

"I chose the easier road," Damon and Elena were sitting in a booth at The Grille, "no guilt, shame, or regret." He stirred his drink absentmindedly. "I mean, if you could turn it off, wouldn't you?" Damon noticed his mistake as soon as he said. "Oh, yeah." They both laughed awkwardly. "You can."

**Get ready for the next chapter :D! Thing's could get freaky. ;)**


	50. Chapter 50

**I hope you enjoy this! (and laugh as much as I did when I was checking for mistakes) :D**

"Damon," Elena's voice was shaky, "Someone was in my house last night." She had been afraid for her aunt Jenna and her brother.

"Ok, I'll figure it out, Elena." Damon assured her.

* * *

"You do not come into _my_ town and pose a threat to the people _I _care about." Damon had the newcomer by his throat. "Going after Elena? Bad move." Damon squeezed tighter. "So are you going to tell me who you are now?" He let the vampire down.

"My name is Jezebel." The vampire rubbed her throat. "Carl!" She snapped. _Oh shit. Thing's were about to get ugly._ Another vampire, Carl, came swooping in on Damon, but before it could so much as scratch Damon, Elena tackled it to the floor. Damon ducked in perfect timing. _Where had Elena come from? _Elena had Carl pinned safely to the floor.

"Elena, let him up." Damon instructed Elena while keeping a close eye on the two intruder's. Elena nodded slowly and took her knee off of Carl's back. He sat up, giving Elena a dirty look.

"You two should know that I came into this town wanting to destroy it, but tonight, I found myself wanting nothing more than to protect it." Damon glanced at Elena, hoping she wouldn't notice, but of course she did. Instead of looking away, Damon stared Elena full on. "Elena," Damon heard the racing heartbeat's of Carl and Jezebel, "somewhere along the way you decided I was worth saving," Damon had finally begun to believe Elena saved him from a werewolf bite, "and I wanted to thank you for that."

Just then, Katherine dropped down from a skylight. "Oh no, you've got to be kidding me." Damon slapped his forehead. _How much more could he deal with tonight?_ "At least she knows how to make an entrance." Damon eyed the two vampires, raising his eyebrows.

"What's going on? Who's this?" Jezebel spoke up.

"And uhh…why did she just emerge from the ceiling?" Carl was utterly bewildered. _Dumbass. _Damon shook his head at the pathetic duo.

"She's Katherine, she loves to play games." Damon smirked at Elena. "I'm just gonna ignore the bitch, see ya." Damon strolled over to the fireplace and stood in front of it, his back facing everyone else in the room.

Katherine rolled her eyes. "He's turned into Stefan?" Katherine asked Elena hypothetically.

"Not quite." Elena still loved Damon, whether he returned the adore or not. "He protected me tonight. Well, sort of." Elena half laughed and Damon turned around to face them.

"Yup, that's me. Your trusty bodyguard, calm in a crisis." He kept a straight face.

Katherine waved her hand dismissively. "He's just upset because he realized he's in love with you after all."

Damon got defensive. "No, I'm not upset." He stepped in between Elena and Katherine. "Upset is an emotion for those who care."

"It doesn't matter, I don't love him." Elena straight out lied to the group of vampires. She wasn't going to sit around waiting for Damon to finally say he loved her.

Damon's jaw nearly dropped. "So what we've been doing here means nothing?" Elena was taken aback by Damon's tone. He stepped closer to her. "You're a liar, Elena." His face was only about six inches away from hers now. "Even If I don't have memories that I should, I know there's something going on between us." Elena desperately needed Damon to go on. This was the moment she had been waiting for since he lost all his memories of them. "You know it's true, and if you say you don't then you're lying to me, but most of all you're lying to yourself." Even Carl and Jezebel were watching Damon and Elena intently. "I can prove it." Damon closed the distance between himself and Elena. He took Elena's face gently in his hands and brought her lips up to his. The kiss wasn't long but it was perfect. Elena was so happy she could have cried right there in front of everybody.

"Well then," Katherine coughed uncomfortably. "You two make yourself scarce." She shot daggers at Carl and Jezebel. "Don't come back." Her voice was menacing. The two vampires nodded. "So Damon you-"

Damon butted in. "When you shut out the pain it's the easiest thing in the world." He had his hands resting on Elena's shoulders. "The part of you that cares just goes away, like flipping a light switch." Elena blinked up at Damon, taking in every word along with his delicious scent. "Elena, I'd be honored to keep you safe." He smiled, all fake happiness gone for the moment.

"Love birds, cut the shit." Katherine wasn't enjoying the love fest. She approved of Damon admitting to his feelings, but she would prefer it not be in front of her. She made a fake gagging noise.

"Katherine, I'll shove your ring so far up your ass you'll really have something to choke on." Elena couldn't help but smirk. _Oh Damon, the romantic._

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	51. Chapter 51

**I hope you like this chapter. :)**

"You tried to kill her Damon!" Elena yelled at Damon, even though he was a mere foot away.

"It's Katherine, who cares!" Damon had plunged a stake centimeters below Katherine's heart when she started messing with his head, telling him the truth about when he was human.

Elena shook her head in disgust. Damon was always acting on impulse, instead of thinking thing's through. Elena's adopted mother was dead. She had killed her appointed mother, and Damon had tried staking her biological mother.

Damon looked into Elena's angry eyes. "You have every right to hate me, I understand." He spoke softly but clearly. "I know you hated me before we became friends and it would suck if that was gone forever." He swallowed his pride. "So is it? Have I lost you forever?" Damon watched Elena's expression carefully.

She hesitated before she nodded, "Yes, Damon, you have." Now she was inching towards the door.

"You're not capable of hating me forever, Elena." Damon reached out to touch her arm.

"Yes, I am." Elena didn't want to look at Damon anymore.

"You and Katherine have a lot more in common than just your looks." Damon's words cut a hole in Elena. _How dare he compare her to Katherine. _Damon could see the fire in Elena's eyes. "Did my confession overwhelm you?" Damon wasn't asking sincerely, he was asking to hurt. "Is my love not enough?" This finally struck a nerve.

"Are you kidding me, Damon?" Elena was furious with him. "Your life had purpose with me and you're willing to sit here and insult me." She shook her head in disgust, her nose pinching.

"Your search for life's purpose is as obvious as it is tragic, Elena." Damon couldn't hold back his irritation.

"Damon, I love you." Elena's eyes softened. "But I can't stand by and let you kill everyone all over again." She was going to keep talking, but Damon cut in.

"Skip the teen drama and get to it." Damon was growing bored with arguing. He would rather be doing something more productive.

"Now I get it, you're just stupid!" Elena tossed her hands up. "Death would have been too kind." Elena mumbled under her breath. Her eyes were misting over.

"Oh please don't tell me you're crying." Damon groaned and walked forward, rocking Elena back and forth in his arms. "I've been dead before, I got over it." He smirked down at Elena, trying to make her feel better after battering her with insults that would have gone over other people's heads. "Oh come on, pouty." Damon stuck out his lower lip, imitating Elena. Elena glared up at him. "Don't look at me with those judgy little eyes." He hugged her tighter. "I was angry. But there's only so much hurt a man can take, Elena." Damon said honestly. "And I know a lot of it has nothing to do with you." Elena listened out of the ear that wasn't crushed against Damon's chest. "I'm going to try to be good, but don't expect me to go out and adopt a puppy or something, I'm not human… no matter how badly I wish I was." Elena was shocked to hear Damon's secret. _He wanted to be human again._

**Dramatic enough for you all? :D Haha**


	52. Chapter 52

**Last chapter: I hope you enjoyed my fan fiction.**

"So what do you think those vampires wanted?" Elena was wrapped securely in Damon's arms, him spooning her.

"Same thing as I want, just in a different way." Elena couldn't see Damon smirking. He pressed the gentlest of kisses on the back of her neck, stimulating goosebumps and little hairs to rise. "We all want _you_." Elena could feel Damon's lips pull into a smile against her skin. Smiling, she let herself fall asleep in his arms.

Before Damon awoke the next morning, Elena climbed out of bed, careful not to make the bed squeak. She tiptoed out of the room and into the living room so she could sit by the fire and write in her diary.

_Dear Diary, Something awful,scratch that, AWESOME is going to happen today. _She began.

"Elena," Stefan's eyes widened when he walked in the living room to find Elena sitting on the end of the couch with her feet tucked under her, "what are you doing here?"

"Umm… I was just, I'm here with, I came for…" The moment was awkward and she didn't know how to make it less uncomfortable, "Damon." She finally stated simply with a head bob. "Yeah, Damon." She looked back down at the notebook in her lap, hoping Stefan would wander off and leave her alone.

Instead, he did just the opposite by taking a seat next to her. She slammed her diary shut and pointedly stood up, her nightgown falling around her thighs and billowing out. "I'm gonna take a shower." Elena didn't know if she was telling Stefan this in order to fill the silence, or if it was an excuse to exit the room. Maybe it was both. She sighed and walked away. Stefan stared after her, wondering when thing's had grown so forced between them.

* * *

Damon awoke to the sound of a shower running. A fresh scent wafted out from under the bathroom door. The cleanness made him smile…it was like the smell of innocence and safety; both of which Damon was not. When Elena emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a towel, Damon was tempted to exaggeratingly hang his mouth open in awe. A big rush of mist made it's way into the bedroom where it settled over the mirrors hanging up. Elena flipped her hair and twisted it into a towel, flicking water droplets on Damon's cheeks.

"Hey, watch it!" He laughed and scooped Elena up, towel and all. He carried her to the bed where he plopped her down, crawling over her and laying kisses on her lips repeatedly. Their lips formed together nicely like lock and key, especially when they were both smiling.

Elena smoothed back Damon's hair before holding the base of his neck, then sliding her hands over his shoulders. She bit his lip playfully and then he drew a tiny amount of blood from her neck, licking it clean before returning to her lips. Elena drew back, beaming up at Damon and his sparkling green eyes looking down at her.

"You're beautiful, ya know that?" Damon nuzzled his face into Elena's neck.

She wrapped her arms around his neck tightly. "You've told me." She smirked.

"Oh ya?" Damon smirked back at her before peeling off his shirt.

"Mhm." Elena nodded against the pillow. Damon removed the towel from her hair, allowing a circular wet spot to form on the teal pillowcase.

"Well you better believe it." Damon watched Elena unfold her towel so her slight body was revealed. Damon's eyes didn't bulge out of his head, but every time he saw this girl, he was nothing less than amazed.

After an hour, Damon and Elena lay next to each other panting. "You're the best of the best I'll have you know." Damon laughed whole-heartedly. "And I should know." He referenced his sexual experience over more than a hundred years. When you're alive for _that _long, you get good at thing's and being Damon's age, sex was all part of the fun. He could hit it and quit it without the emotional side effects on his or the other person's part. Elena was a different story, though. With her it wasn't just that he _couldn't _compel her to forget, he didn't want to.

Elena rolled away, planning on getting off the bed, getting up and getting dressed. Damon had other thing's in mind, though. He pulled Elena back, not letting her get up. If she had wanted to she could have resisted, but she didn't. She giggled and let Damon hug her bare body to him. "Damon!" She whined with a big grin spread across her face, enjoying this as much as he was.

"Whaaaaat?" Damon mocked, flipping them over so he was on his back and Elena was on top of him. Now he was concentrating on her brown eyes and full lipstick-red lips. She pursed her lips, over exaggerating a kissy face. He laughed while she waited for him to plant a kiss on her lips. He didn't make her wait long before he kissed her, clutching her closer to him.

"I love you." The words formed on Elena's lips, but Damon made them heard.

"I love you,too." They both smiled. This was a perfect ending with the start of a beautiful beginning.

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